Ice Cold
by Grinzwald
Summary: Harry Charlus Potter was struck with the killing curse on Halloween, but Thomas James Potter was declared the BWL. Neglected after that night, Harry grew into himself, in more ways than one. With Harry thurst into the Triwizard Tournament and the machinations of Voldemort, what will become of him, and his secrets? Harry/Fleur Elemental!Harry Independent!Harry
1. Chapter 1: First Meetings

**Disclaimer: I don't know how this works and I don't really feel like going back through stories to look at a disclaimer. I guess though just like… I don't own any Harry Potter characters, JKR does.**

 **A/N: This is my first story. Go easy on me, or don't. Criticism is appreciated. If I judge this to be bad enough (way to cliché, or OP Harry), I might scrap the story and restart. There have been a couple of ideas I've been playing with. But, seeing as after a year of telling myself I would write the story, I probably won't do that. Personal note: For some reason, I like Fleur/Harry, so things I post in the near future (maybe not in the far future), will probably also be that pairing. Like I said, criticism is appreciated, like, some things I was worried about when writing this was if the timing of people saying certain things made sense, or if certain aspects make sense. PSA: I don't PLAN on Harry being OP. So… yea. Enjoy I suppose?**

Fleur's POV

 _*Huff… huff_

Fleur Delacour cursed herself for getting into this position. Right now, she was running away from… whoever those hooligans were. She heard her father hiss, "Mangemorts" before he and her mother had run off to help fight them off and help anyone who needed it. She was supposed to run with her sister Gabrielle to the forest.

Problem one: Gabrielle had sprained her ankle on a tent stake and Fleur could not just leave her sister behind.

Problem two: Gabrielle's cry of pain had attracted a couple of the attackers to their predicament, and Fleur could not see her parents anywhere.

And so it was that she found herself with Gabrielle on her back, running away, knowing full well what might happen to her and her sister should they be caught.

Fleur suddenly cried out as a burst of pain shot through her leg, and she and Gabrielle fell to the ground in a tumble. Fleur hissed in pain as she moved her leg to get a better look, she noticed that is was broken. 'A bone breaker,' she thought numbly.

" _Run Gabrielle."_

" _What?"_ Gabi was crying at the state of her sister, pleading with her to get up.

" _Just run. I can't do anything like this, it's better if they only get one of us."_

" _B-but-"_

" _GO!"_

Gabrielle looked back at her sister with tears in her eyes, before taking off for the forest.

Fleur sighed, and started crying, tears running down her dirt-smeared face. She steeled herself as she could feel her pursuers getting closer. They all stopped a short distance away.

"Well looky 'ere, looks like we got ourselves a little bird." The man in front grinned wildly, before beginning to walk forward.

Quick as a snake, Fleur whipped out her wand and fired a reductor at the man. His comrades, if they could be called that, looked back at the mess that was their friend, before snarling and sending hexes her way.

"That little bitch. Don't kill her. I'll make her pay for killing Ribes."

Fleur considered herself to be one of the best duelers in Beaubaxtons, but not even she could outduel 10 fully fledged wizards. It wasn't long before a tripping hex sent her sprawling to the floor, her balance already precarious from her broken leg, and a quick "Expelliarmus" ripped her wand away from her and into the hands of her attackers.

Once the spell fire stopped, the group of men started to advance on her, smiling lecherously, and Fleur found herself dreading what was about to happen, and simultaneously praying that Gabi was able to get away. As they got closer, she could see that her Allure was affecting them, perhaps more than usual. Was it spinning out of control because of her fear? Either way, she did not like to look into the glazed over eyes of her attackers.

"Well, this doesn't look very nice, now does it?"

11 heads looked to the side to a hooded figure standing not far off.

At the voice, Fleur had been filled with hope, but those were dashed once she looked at the figure. He was a young man, if he could be called that, and he was only one person. She could catch just a hint of blonde hair coming out from under the hood.

"Piss off boy. The adults here are having fun, aren't they deary?"

At this, the ringleader started to reach his hand out towards Fleur-

…

only to have his hand fall at Fleur's feet.

Fleur didn't know whether to be sick, or happy. But either way, the screaming of the man, whose name was Cicero if the yelling of his companions was anything to go by, tore her gaze away from the dismembered limb and towards the group and the boy.

"Stupefy." "Incarcerous." "Reducto" "Tarantellegra." "Diffindo." "Ossis Effergo." "Bombarda."

The group started shouting out spells, all aimed at 'Player 3'.

Fleur could see her own shocked face reflected when the hooded figure lazily waved his hand and a wall of ice appeared, stopping the spells in the tracks. Her reflection was soon destroyed however as more spells came crashing into the wall, the attackers not intimidated in the slightest, hurling powerful, darker spells towards the wall.

Fleur attempted to warm the man that his wall was getting destroyed, before she noticed a smirk on his face, just not covered by his hood. What she failed to notice before now caught her eye, as the hundreds, thousands of shards of ice were actually going towards the man.

Right as the wall shattered and the group smirked in triumph, the man used the lull to point his wand at Fleur and mutter "Accio," before curling his hand in.

Fleur found herself flying towards the figure and then her view of the attackers was cut off as suddenly, thousands of shards of ice starting to violently whirl around her savior, she hoped it wasn't too early to call him that. Above the din of wind and ice, she could hear her attackers curse and start up the barrage again.

Her savior just smiled and looked at her. At this point, he turned to her and spoke. "Don't worry, this wall will hold and absorb more spell fire."

In the back of her mind, Fleur registered that the voice belonged to that of someone very young, younger than herself, but, already reeling more magical exhaustion and blood loss, she could only nod her head. Her vision was starting to blur, so she couldn't get a good read on her savior. All she could see was the blonde hair that she spotted earlier, along with a big blur of bright blue and a smaller orb of blue that she assumed was his eye. If she didn't know any better, she might've thought he was a relative!

The man just looked back at his whirlwind of ice, before waving his hand, forming 10 icy spikes from the shards that were whirling around.

Fleur widened her eyes again as she was able to make it that almost all of what he had done was wandless.

With another wave, the ice spikes shot out of the whirlwind, and seconds later, the spellfire stopped. The wind died down, the ice disappeared, and the hooded man was the only one left standing. Fleur looked around and noted the abandoned and smoking ruins of the campsite in the distance.

The man turned towards her, a grin on his face and wanted pointed at her, and for a moment, she was afraid that she had traded one attacker for another.

"Somnus."

Before long, Fleur was asleep. He then waved his wand, rudimentarily healing the leg and setting it. Healing was not his expertise. He then picked up the girl.

As he started walking back towards the campsite, the white-blonde hair that was poking out turned black, the blue light fading, and his glowing blue eyes fading back to the emerald green he was born with.

When he reached the medical tent, he raised his wand up, producing a bang. He saw several medi witches and wizards, along with Aurors come out with their wands raised. A blonde haired woman and brown haired man came out, the woman the spitting image of the girl he held in his arms.

"DON'T FIRE!" the Frenchman shouted, seeing his daughter in a stranger's arms.

"What do you want?" he asked, not being able to see the figure's face.

The man simply laid Fleur down and disapparated without a sound, leaving a score of people in stunned silence.

* * *

Jean Sebastian kept his wand trained on the spot where the man had disappeared from, before starting to slowly circle around, ready for any attack. Then he signaled for the Aurors around him to cover him while he rushed to his little girl.

When he got to her, he cast an "Ennervate," and Fleur's eyes slowly opened.

"Papa."

"Oh, Fleur I was so worried! When your sister got home without you, she was sobbing and talking about how you told her to leave you behind and, well, I feared the worst."

"It's okay Papa, I had too, but then that man saved me. Where is he?"

"A man had dropped you off earlier, but then disappeared as suddenly as he appeared."

"Oh." Fleur looked ever so slightly" downtrodden. She then perked up. "Maybe you can help me find him! He was young, probably around 15. He had blonde hair, and blue eyes. But, not like mine. They were colder, harder, more like the sky than my sapphires.""

Despite the seriousness of the situation that just happened, Jean Sebastian couldn't help but cracking a small joke. "My, Fleur, I do believe that this is the most interest you've shown in a male in a long time."

"It's not like that Papa! It's just that I would have liked to thank him." She lightly slapped him, but even that sudden action left her feeling slightly light headed.

"Ok there flower, let's get you inside the tent and treated. It looks like you may be suffering from anemia there."

Fleur kept talking as he led her to the medical tent. "I want you to look for him. Not just for me. He is very powerful. He took on 10 wizards at once."

As Jean Sebastian gave her away to the medi-witch, he was left to ponder his daughter's words.

 _10 wizards at once… Not an easy feat at all. As one of the more experienced members of the Ministère de la Loi Magique, even I could probably take one 5 wizards at maximum. To say that a young boy did it… She might have been addled from the blood loss, or the person could have been wearing a glamour. I'll ask her when she wakes up for more detail."_

 _ **Meanings:**_

 _ **Mangemort: Death Eaters  
Ministère de la Loi Magique: Ministry of Magical Law.  
While Britain's Government is set up in departments, France's is Ministries.  
At times, when I think it's appropriate, I'll use the French word, but usually it will be English **_


	2. Chapter 2: Trouble at the World Cup

**Review replies:**

 **robert32514: Thanks**

 **picnic990: Thanks, and no, I don't think so, mainly because when I was envisioning this (I should have written it in, will address in this chapter, but will definitely keep in mind next time), that like, drunk pureblood supremacists kind of joined into the group, and who Harry fought weren't full fledged Death Eaters.**

Chapter 2

Harry's POV

Watching the Bulgarian seeker fly was quite something. There was a gracefulness in the air that no one seemed to be able to match. Harry thought he was fair on a broom, something that the Potter men seemed to share, and while he had no particular love for Quidditch, he would be a fool to discount Krum's skill at the sport. The Wronski Feint that Krum pulled off against Lynch was even more impressive given the stakes and the speed at which they were competing with each other.

He looked around, and Susan and Hannah were having a great time. While Susan's aunt Director Bones had not been able to come, David, Hannah's father, had been given the tickets that she had acquired. Then, the girls were able to get Harry to come, who had no previous plans.

Harry didn't have much of a home life. He told his parents that he would be going to the world cup with some friends. He already knew from listening to James's and Thomas's conversations that there would be enough seats for "friends and family", which didn't include him.

Harry hadn't been a part of the family since that fateful Halloween. All Harry could remember from then was the sound of sobbing and a flash of green. After then, the house elves took care of Harry. Or so he assumed from the fact that as far as he could remember, it was they who took care of them, and his parents never spared any love for him. Once he was five, he started to take care of himself. He could do most basic things by himself, and since his family didn't want him by their side, he obliged them, immersing himself in books. Most of them were magical, some were non-magical.

As he heard giggling, he looked back to his friends, the only two he had. Susan and Hannah were pointing at the field. "Look!"

As he looked, he shook his head. The referee, Mostafa, seemed to be dazed, and was trying to impress the Bulgarian mascots, the Veela.

"Well, we can't have that!" Bagman shouted, signaling for the medi-wizards to shake Mostafa out of his stupor.

"Man, the Veela allure is really something, huh? I can see guys all around entranced by it."

"Yea, but not you, Harry?" Hannah asked inquisitively. Harry was one of their only close male friends. Sure, she was on decent terms with the rest of their house, but befriending a Ravenclaw, especially the other Potter, tended to separate you a bit.

"I can feel it. It's hard to describe. It's almost like a subconscious will trying to bring me closer to them."

"Well, I'm glad that you aren't reduced to a slobbering mess like Ron Weasley," Susan noted, pointing to the offending party.

When Harry looked over, he indeed saw the youngest male Weasley gaping at mascots, making a fool of himself. He just shook his head and went back to the game.

It was mainly a slaughter, with the Irish scoring goal after goal. Finally, Harry caught sight of a flash of gold, and it seemed that Krum had seen it as well. He went into a dive, followed loosely by Lynch, who was still wary because of the Wronski Feint. It was only when it was too late that Lynch realized that this wasn't a feint.

However, the snitch wasn't going to give up without a fight, even against the best seeker in the world. It weaved, ducked, dived and did loops. Harry looked over at the score. 160 to 10, with the Irish in possession, speeding towards the goal hoops. Looking back to Krum, he saw Krum snatch the snitch...

but only just after he saw the Irish score go up 10 points

"IRELAND WINS!" Bagman was shouting into the mic. "KRUM GETS THE SNITCH, BUT IRELAND WINS!"

Susan moaned, expecting the Bulgarians to win, and Harry smirked a little bit, holding his hand out for the 5 galleons that promptly fell.

"I can't believe that you thought that the Irish would win. Bulgaria has Krum!"

"But Krum is just one person. Usually, the seeker makes or breaks a game. Usually."

* * *

As Harry, Susan, and Hannah were relaxing in the tent, they heard some yelling and commotion. David poked his head outside of the tent to take a look at what was happening, and he quickly came back in with a panicked look on his face.

"Get up, we have to get out of here."

Harry quickly packed his bag, waving his wand. He learned that as long as he was in a place with a lot of other wizards and witches, he could get away with using magic. It was all about timing.

He came out of the tent with Susan and Hannah right behind him, and saw chaos. Tents were on fire, spells were being thrown around, and people were running every which way, presumably to get to any portkeys they used to get here.

"Stick together, and let's get to the portkey everyone," David yelled over the noise.

They started to move, weaving throughout the ever changing current of people, and were near the edge of the campsite when someone ran through them, separating them.

"Harry!" Susan called for him, but the flow of people pushed them apart. After a couple of minutes, Harry sighed, and would have to hope that the two girls got out okay. They seemed like they were getting ahead of him anyway, so they probably got to the portkey before he could have. He decided to just Disapparate, a skill he picked up late last year.

Just as he was about to leave, he was distracted by the color of some spell fire and a cry of pain. By the time he had located the source, he saw a figure running away towards the forest. When he looked back, he saw another person on the ground being approached by a group of people. A flash of blue came from the grounded figure, hitting one of the people. ' _A reductor,'_ he assumed.

Afterwards he saw the figure go down among some spell fire, and he decided to go towards them to see what was going on. As he got closer, he could see a girl and 10 men.

"I suppose I could use some practice," Harry muttered to himself, seeing as he couldn't very well at Potter Manor.

With that, his face changed, his hair turning white and his eyes turning blue. He smiled, forming a small ice crystal in his hand that he played with.

He announced his presence with a "Well, this doesn't look very nice, now does it?" Inwardly, he winced at how stupid that sounded, but it was too late.

"Piss off boy. The adults here are having fun, aren't they deary?"

 _Boy._ Anger filled him at that word. As the 'leader' of the group reached his hand out to girl, he sent a Cutting curse towards the offending party. With a thud, the man's hand fell to the floor at the girl's feet, accompanied by a strangled screaming noise from the man.

A hail of spells came towards his way, and he waved his hand up, raising a wall of ice. Spells of all sorts slammed into the wall, sending shards of ice everywhere from the collisions. He felt a small drain from creating so much ice from nothing, but it was nothing like the first time he had tried any sort of ice creation. He waved his hand again, willing of the ice shards to start coming back towards him. ' _I don't see any masks, so they're not Death Eaters. Just drunks and idiots.'_ Harry was almost disappointed.

He could see concern on the girl's face as more powerful spells slammed into the ice, but he just smirked. Right as the wall shattered, he could see looks of triumph on his attackers' faces before he summoned the girl and willed the ice to circle him in a whirlwind. He heard cursing and more spells hit the whirlwind.

"Don't worry, this wall will hold and absorb more spell fire," he said to the girl. As he got a good look, he could see she was dazed. Probably from all of the events and the blood loss. She had platinum blonde hair, and sapphire blue eyes.

' _What a coincidence,'_ he mused. ' _I wonder if she's even able to tell what's going on.'_ While looking similar, there were some differences. His hair was white, and his eyes were lighter. A resemblance could be mistaken however.

Harry was starting to get bored. Last year, this would have given him a lot of trouble. But practice made something like this easy. If these were all Death Eaters, there's no way he would have won. At least, not with the current strategy. He lazily formed some ice spikes from the shards, before sending them to their targets. Not a single attacker even realized what had happened before they had a hole in their chest.

"Somnus." With that, he put her to sleep. He stopped channeling the ice, and let his features morph back to what they originally were. _'It's so nice to automatically have a disguise when I use my powers."_ He also went ahead and did some healing, essentially just enough to set the bone and close the wound.

He picked up the girl. ' _Oof, someone might have to lay off the sweets. Or maybe I'm just weak.'_ He may have been athletic and quick, but that did not mean strong.

As he began walking, he saw a tent illuminated by fire and wand light. As he got close, he used his wand to alert them to his presence. He saw a couple walk out along with some Aurors, all with wands raised.

"DON'T FIRE!" the man of the couple shouted. "What do you want?"

Harry simply put her down. He really didn't want to risk getting closer. Then he disapparated.

* * *

As the world stopped spinning, he wound up some distance away from the Abbot residence, and made his presence known.

"HARRY!" Susan and Hannah both tackled him, leaving a squeamish Harry underneath the two girls. "Where have you been?! We were all so worried when you got separated from us!"

"Sorry, after I got separated, I spent some time looking for you guys, but I couldn't, and then got distracted by some commotion." _'Not the full truth, but not a lie.'_ Susan seemed to be a little doubtful, but let it slide in the moment.

"How did you get back?" David inquired.

"I found a medical tent, and someone came out and helped me.''

"Well, it's good that you're safe son."

Son. That was a word he didn't ear often. It felt foreign, strange.

"Thanks," Harry replied awkwardly. "I'll go back to Potter Manor now. Bye Susan, Hannah, Mr. Abbot."

As he stepped into the fireplace, he saw a rush of green before appearing in the foyer of the Manor. His mother was there, and Harry honestly didn't know what she wanted from him.

"Where have you been?" she asked.

Harry shrugged as he answered, "At the World Cup, just like everyone else."

"With whom?"

"The Abbots and Susan Bones. Why the sudden interest in my life? You never cared before."

Harry saw as Lily visibly flinched at that. He wondered what the change of heart was, but shrugged and made off for his room. He didn't feel like figuring out his family. Trying to figure them out was as difficult as trying to get to intimately know a stranger in a day. Possible, but high unlikely.

He sighed as he reached his room. It was fairly simple: it had a bed, a dresser, a desk, and a bookshelf. Ok maybe more than one bookshelf. Ten. Thomas never seemed to care if any books went missing, and James never noticed any books missing from the Potter Library either.

He fell on his bed, soaking in how comfortable it was. It was almost more comfortable knowing that everything here was bought by himself. He then sighed and decided he should keep practicing tomorrow, and went to his bookshelf. He removed some books from a shelf, and pressed in a on secret button. That caused a book to pop out. He carved a small space and then used an Undetectable Expansion charm on it, so the small wall of the bookshelf could hide a book.

He sat down with a book that he had probably read 100 times, even the parts that didn't apply to him or ice, just for a hint of knowledge or inspiration: _Elementals._


	3. Chapter 3: Old Magic

**A/N: Sorry about the wait. Tests and everything kind of caught up on me, along with work. So, here's the third chapter, right along with the second. Thanks for the support in the reviews. I will try to keep a more regular schedule, and like hornet07, if there are any mistakes, point them out and I will try to fix them. Chapter 1 has been replaced with an edited version. Thanks.**

August 31, 1994

Harry inhaled deeply, and then with his exhale, started channeling his Ice. That was the best way he could think to describe it. It was his, a part of him. The rules for conjuring ice as an elemental were similar to every other. It could be done without any gesture or signal, wandlessly and wordlessly, although many people found it easier to do one of those, almost like muscle memory. And it truly was like a muscle. While anything that you conjured came from your core, there were limits to what a beginner could do. In the beginning, a small ice crystal was all that could be managed, and took a very long time. So, practicing had the dual effect of training his core and his 'ice muscles'.

Ice was also different. He had almost total control over his Ice, and limited control over other ice, but his element was not one of the base elements. Air, Water, Earth, and Fire. There were other 'elements' like his. Lava could be considered a combination of Earth and Fire. Lightning could be considered a derivation of Fire and Air. But Ice was different. It was just water. And that made it special.

If there were any water, he could make it his Ice. He could not make any ice his, but water provided a loophole. Because of the way Ice was, he could change it back and forth, but couldn't change it to steam. It was too different. Harry knew basic chemistry, but magic was all about intent, visualization, and the physical aspects of the two substances just clashed in his mind.

Channeling took very little time, not even a second when he was calm and already concentrating. But, if we were to suddenly be in a threatening situation, it might take about five. It used to take 30 even when he was concentrating. That was the goal: to be able to channel instantly.

Before Harry even started to inhale again, his hair had taken on the white tone he was so used to, and he could _feel_ his power thrumming, waiting to be unleashed. When he stood, he covered everything in a five foot radius in frost. Then he conjured a piece of circular, flat ice. He used his makeshift mirror to look at his reflection, and traced the scar he had. It was one of the things he liked the most about his 'transformation.' After all, he rather liked his jet black hair. His scar originally is one sixth of what he has now, pointing upwards. But, when he is channeling his ice, it reflects, like a kaleidoscope, to form the shape of a snowflake, centered on his right eye.

Harry found hand gestures to be the easiest way to conjure his Ice. It gave direction to his intent. He threw a ball up, and quickly shot his hand forward. Five icicles all grew from the ground, heading towards the ball before trapping it between the icicles, stopping when they hit a tree trunk.

He didn't want to risk being seen, after all he was only 150 yards out from Potter Manor in the woods. He quickly finished his exercises before trying something. It was not something he had tried before, but as a derivation of something he had done before…

Harry drew his hands in, closing his eyes and visualizing what he wanted. He splayed his hands and extended them out slowly, before opening his eyes to see… nothing.

Or at least, that's what it looked like. But really, it was hundreds and hundreds icicles, surrounding him 360 degrees around from head to toe. He yelled and pushed out, sending the ice everywhere, before collapsing, breathing hard.

' _I have to be careful next time I try that. It wasn't even as much ice as the wall, and yet it still drained me.'_

Once he had regained his breath, he started walking back home, clearing all trace of what he had practiced. Harry didn't want to bring too much attention to himself, and so kept his status a secret. At best, he would just be brushed off as wanting attention, and at worst, be called a freak and locked up. Keeping the status quo was just fine with Harry. At first, he might have wanted fame. But he saw what it did to Thomas. It made his arrogant, cocky, and weak. It was also an enemy. The only people who knew about his powers were Susan and Hannah. And he supposed the girl at the World Cup.

' _I wonder how she's doing right now.'_ Harry, despite his neglectful upbringing, or maybe because of it, had a 'saving people' thing. He couldn't help but help. _'It would be fantastic if she doesn't remember much of that night. I really don't need people looking for me. Although they'll have a hard time finding me from her description even if she does remember,'_ Harry smirked to himself.

* * *

Jean Sebastian was being run ragged by his eldest daughter. She wouldn't stop asking about the man who had saved her. The _boy_ rather. Jean Sebastian had looked over the Pensieve memory; wonderful things those were, able to recreate perfect memories. He spent a long time combing the memory, for any hint of an identity, but any flashes of spellfire that might have shed some light on the boy's identity either were dulled due to the ice or never reached far enough under his hood.

The boy was undoubtedly skilled, and his daughter's description was accurate, but a Pensieve was so much better.

Firstly, he saw that the boy was battling some drunks, not Death Eaters (although Fleur had never implied as such). Sebastian thought he might have caught a hint of contempt in the boy's posture, but he couldn't be sure. With this new information, he reevaluated, thinking he could have taken the drunks. But for a teenager?

Secondly, Fleur's description was close, but not quite correct. In that situation, his hair could have been mistaken for the platinum blonde that the women in his family had, but it was actually white. What was curious was that he couldn't see that hair at the tent, but chalked that up to the distance.

But, Fleur's description of the boy's eyes had been spot on: cold and hard as rocks, although when he looked at Fleur, they seemed to soften ever so slightly. But, what was REALLY interesting was his daughter.

Jean was amused at his daughter's antics. She had never been so interested in a male before. He supposed ijt was in part due to gratitude, in part due to pride. The fact that someone so young could be so strong.

What he found most odd was the ice though. Wandless magic next to impossible except for some of the strongest wizards, or the weakest of magics. It just that, without a wand or some other kind of focus, there is a lot of dissipation of magic, so wandless magic, while faster and convenient, is also inefficient. Even the boy used a wand. But, whenever it came to ice, he would merely gesture with his hand. He figured that this would be the best way to find him. He believed that this boy was deeply connected to ice in some way, given the light emanating from his eye.

The light that went across his face was definitely a snowflake. Fleur couldn't see that well due to being dizzy, but the Pensieve allowed Jean to clearly see it.

As head of the MML (Ministry of Magical Law), had contacted other heads of countries' respective Law Enforcement departments. Not a single one had an Auror on the force matching the description, nor had any of them heard of such a person. There was no record, good or bad, of such a person.

He eventually focused his search on the British Isles, based on the accent and the fact that the Quidditch World Cup was in Britain at the time. He wished that he could follow his daughter to Britain for the tournament, but he couldn't very well leave the Ministry.

" _Fleur."_

" _Yes, Papa?"_

" _You know the boy you wanted me to find?"_

Fleur's eyes lit up. _"Did you finally find him?"_

Jean Sebastian shook his head. _"No. But, seeing as school is starting soon, I want you to look out for him."_

Fleur looked confused at this. _"Does he go to Beaubaxtons?"_

" _No, but based on his age and other factors, I believe that he will be at Hogwarts."_

Fleur nodded her head in understanding. _"The tournament."_

" _Indeed, which reminds me…"_ Fleur steeled herself for the impending argument she was sure to come. _"Are you absolutely sure you want to enter this tournament? If you really do, your mother and I won't stop you. But, just be careful, ok?"_

Fleur was slightly taken aback, but composed herself. _"Of course I will Papa, don't worry,"_ she said, trying to comfort her father.

At dinner that night, her mother also brought up these topics. _"So, Fleur, did your father help you find your crush?"_

Fleur blushed slightly, before snapping back, _"He's not my crush. I'm just curious as to who he is."_

Apolline just nodded with a knowing smile, which only set Fleur off more. Gabrielle just giggled.

" _Even Papa is interested in the boy!"_

Apolline looked over, now slightly more interested.

" _Jean?"_

" _It's more a matter of the magic he was wielding. It was almost as if the ice was an…"_

" _A what?"_

" _An extension of himself… Excuse me."_

He went upstairs to the library, muttering under his breath and running his hands over the titles of the books. Finally, he found the one he was looking for.

" _Vieille magie_ _._ _"_ He never thought he would open this book except for a disconnected sense of nostalgia or yearning for magic that wasn't in the world anymore. But, that might no longer be the case as he hurriedly flipped through the book until he got to the page he wanted.

" _Elementals."_

 **A/N: This is edited in**

 **Vieille magie: old magic.**


	4. Chapter 4: Back to Hogwarts

**A/N: So a reader (simurg) taught me a thing about wandless magic. I do not follow the extended Universe, and mainly am going off what I remember from the book (and maybe the movie). So, in terms of the ability of wandless magic to be used, I will keep that in mind for future stories, but will stick to what I wrote for now for continuity's sake. If there are small spelling or grammar mistakes that don't affect story plot, I will correct those if they are pointed out. He also talked about elemental powers, so any limits on Harry's elemental power are imposed by me, and self-imposed by his own limitations. Thanks for reading. Also, updating will be more regularly (emphasis on more). Lately has been tough. Nothing too drastic, just finals. Also, reading over chapter 3 (I had to remember and continue shaping the personality I wanted) I realized, I completely left a sentence dangling and no one called me out on it. So that's edited. Not a big deal, it's in the pensieve memory section. Just about Harry's eyes.**

 **Also, if you didn't google:**

 _ **Vieille Magie: Old Magic**_

 _ **^^I accidentally used wrong French terms. Corrected if you go back now.**_

"Bleh" = normal

" _Bleh"_ = French

' _Bleh'_ = internal thoughts

Chapter 4

September 1, 1994

Lily POV

As Lily watched the train leave, she waved to Thomas, who was waving back. She couldn't see Harry at all, which made sense. She barely saw him around the house, he probably wouldn't be waving out a window, especially not to Lily. In fact, he practically pushed by her on his way to the train.

It had all started earlier in the summer. On the twin's birthday, Lily had gotten up earlier than normal. She found that because of magical lifestyle and the Potter house elves, she tended to sleep in more. So, she decided to bake a cake, and in doing so, found letters on the dining table. When she reached for them, she saw Hogwarts letters addressed to one "Thomas James Potter", and more importantly, "Harry Charlus Potter."

"Harry," she breathed out in confusion, before realizing that she couldn't remember taking him to Diagon Alley, or seeing him off at Kings Cross. Merlin, she couldn't even remember _taking_ him to Kings Cross!

' _How could I forget about a son, someone I brought into the world, just because another became famous? The reporters, the special care, the attention, nothing should have stopped me from taking care of Harry. But he just sort of, disappeared among all of Thomas's needs.'_

Tears had slowly started to go down her face, before she heard someone coming down the steps, and so hastily wiped her face. As she turned, she came face to face with the person in question himself.

Harry for his part just looked on confusedly before walking over, saying, "I believe that is mine, Lily." He then made his way to the counter and grabbed some fruit and water and headed for the door.

Lily couldn't believe what she had just heard. Not out of anger, but of shock and sadness. _'My own son called me by my first name, and not "Mom" or "Mother".'_ Before she could say anything however, Harry was out the door, and she didn't have the sense to wish him a "Happy birthday" on his way out.

As she watched the train pull out, she decided to look for anything, anything that might help disprove her growing worry: that, for a while now perhaps, she now only has one son.

Harry POV

The compartment in the very back was full of noise. Susan and Hannah were talking animatedly with each other, each speculating about what would be happening this year. To date, something interested had always happened. Neville was talking with Daphne and Harry, both of whom were reading, but still paying attention. Daphne and Neville couldn't exactly be called friends. More, friendly acquaintances. They had all met at various gathering that consisted mainly of purebloods, and they just happened to fight the least among each other. Harry was shunned, Neville was terribly shy, and Daphne just seemed to ooze hatred for the younger Potter, which worked for Harry. Susan and Hannah had also shown up at those gatherings, mostly balls or parties, but it wasn't until later actually that they became friends.

"So, were you guys there when the Dark Mark showed up?"

At this, Harry actually looked up from his book. He hadn't been paying much attention to the news recently, but this would definitely explain his parents' whisperings and hushed conversations.

"Yea, apparently, Crouch's house elf stole your br- Thomas's wand and cast it." Neville continued.

Daphne scoffed. "Bunch of rubbish that is. Everyone knows house elves don't use wands, they have different magics."

"I saw the death eaters and other rabble, but was able to get someone to get me out before that happened apparently." Harry had to make sure he stayed consistent. During part of this, he had felt Susan's suspicion with his story, especially given his academics.

"Well, let's hope it just stays as coincidence or troublemakers, or else that would be bad for all of us." Daphne said, while the others just nodded. Harry nodded along, although, his brother would probably be the one with more to deal with. No one would remember him, and in this case, that would be fine.

Harry just laid back, remembering the first time he got on the train.

*flashback*

Harry looked around, trying to find the closest things he had for friends. As he found Daphne, they just nodded to each other and took off. As they saw Neville, right as he got on the train, they ambushed him, pulling him towards the back of the train. After that, they mostly just sat in silence, until Neville broke the silence.

"So, not really a happy farewell from the family?" he asked timidly. Daphne just glared at him, while Harry just stared at him, those green eyes boring into his, causing him to shrink further. Neville was shy because of the expectations hoisted on him by his father and grandmother.

"I don't have a family," Harry noted. Daphne stored that bit of info for later, as he was usually never this forthcoming. Neville flinched, knowing about the situation better than Daphne. Frank and James tried to organize playdates for Thomas and Neville outside of the pureblood gatherings that they were expected to show up to, but about half the time, Neville just hung out with Harry.

It was then that Susan and Hannah had decided to show up.

"Are you Thomas Potter?!" Harry gritted his teeth slightly, and just stared at them. All four of them felt a very real chill, although only two of them realized that.

"I'm Harry Potter. If you want to find Thomas, look for a Weasley."

Susan and Hannah left in a hurry, in part to find the Boy-Who-Lived, in part to get away from the scary boy.

*end flashback*

"Back to the original conversation," Susan started, "I'm pretty sure I know what's going to happen this year."

Daphne just rolled her eyes. "I'm pretty sure we all do actually. All five of us have parents in the Wizengamot, four of those work in the ministry in some fashion, and the fifth is a Slytherin with some shady contacts."

"So, we all know about the tournament then?" Susan asked.

"Yep." the other four nodded.

Harry put down his book. "It's almost time for the train to stop. Neville?"

Neville stepped out of the compartment with Harry to let the girls change.

Daphne cast a silencing spell at the door and tuned to Susan. "So what really happened at the World Cup? Harry never tells me or Neville anything, you two are the only real friends he's got."

"I don't even know! We invited him to watch it with us, but in the chaos afterwards we got separated." Susan said hurriedly. Hannah pitched in.

"Yea, and then he shows up at my house almost an hour later, half an hour after we did!"

"But, the funniest thing is what happened at around the same time as he got to Hannah's house. My Aunt as you know is head of the DMLE, and her French counterpart Jean Sebastian told her that someone saved his daughter. And when she did some investigating, she found 11 bodies."

"You don't th-"

"I wouldn't be surprised," Daphne cut Hannah off. "Before you two got him to open up a bit, he was cold and sharp, even more so than me. And from what I've gathered through whisperings, there are quite a few people missing from Malfoy's group of people, so I wouldn't put it past him to have… done some of them in."

Right as Daphne finished talking, she could the wheels screeching to a stop.

"Come on, they're probably waiting for us."

As the three girls filed out, Neville and Harry were indeed waiting for them. It was a short walk from the train to the carriages. Horseless, most people assumed. But Harry knew better. They were pulled by thestrals. He didn't think anyone else could see them. Susan might, but that is a big might.

Right before they were going to leave, another Ravenclaw that they all knew hopped in. With the sixth person, the carriage started.

"Hello Luna." "Hello Harry. You seem to have more wrackspurts than normal."

This was what Harry loved about Luna. She was intelligent, and could obviously see something that others couldn't. Harry had just been thinking about the men he killed, wondering if had let his anger get the better of him.

"Come on Harry, you're with friends, think positive thoughts." Daphne just frowned. Most of the others seemed to think she was barmy except Susan, who seemed to always notice a change in Harry when Luna was around.

"Thanks Luna, I'll keep that in mind."

"Hrmmmmm…." Luna just looked into the moon, staring.

As they pulled in front of the castle, they all filed out and into the Great Hall. He saw the Sorting Hat sitting there, and remembered his own sorting.

*flashback*

"Potter, Harry."

All at once, whispers started, among the house tables and the First Years.

 _Harry Potter?  
Potter?  
Thomas has a twin brother?  
How come we never heard of him?  
Were they separated from birth?_

All of these questions and more buzzed around the Great Hall as Harry stepped up. From here, he could see everybody, including Thomas, who seemed confused, and at the same time, arrogant.

' _What an interesting combination.'_

' _Indeed, just from here, it seems like your brother will be going to Gryffindor.'_

' _He is not my brother. And what about me?'_

' _Yes you're a tough one. Loyal, but only to friends. Ambitious, yes, you want to prove your parents wrong, yet I feel you lack the cunning to make it in Slytherin-'_

' _Yet you put Draco Malfoy in there, who has as much subtlety as a stomping elephant.'_

' _Never mind him. Ah yes, I see courage in here, and plenty of nobility. And yet, a darkness festers, and you would definitely not jump first and look second. No, better be'_

"RAVENCLAW!"

As Harry walked down, only a couple of people were clapping, Flitwick being one of them. Most people were shocked at a Potter not being sorted into Gryffindor, somewhat of a legend of itself. Most of the Ravenclaws didn't know whether to cheer for getting the brother of the Boy-Who-Lived, or to be sad at not getting the Boy-Who-Lived, who was promptly sorted into Gryffindor.

Harry sat with the other First Years and started to dig in when the food arrived.

"So, what's it like, being the brother to the Boy-" the rest of Anthony's question was fairly obvious, and everyone in the vicinity had leaned in, but soon wished to be anywhere away from there once Harry looked up.

"We, are not, brothers." Harry's glowing green eyes bore into Anthony's until he shrank into the bench and squeaked out an "okay."

That just set off more whispering. "Are they cousins?" "If they're not brothers, how are they related?"

None of them seemed to realize that what Harry meant was that even though they shared the same parents, they were not brothers.

Harry just looked back to his plate, tuning out the people around him. People would always be stupid, make their own conclusions. It's better not to feed their curiosity.

*End flashback"

Harry started making his way over to Ravenclaw table. At this point, most people knew whether or not they personally should keep their distance. Close to him were Terry Boot and Mandy Brocklehurst.

"Morning Terry, Mandy." "Morning Harry." It was short and succinct. It was a small miracle they were even on a first name basis, but Hannah and Susan had convinced him to try to be more amiable to at least his own House.

As everyone was seated, McGonagall came in with all of the first years. You could tell who was a muggleborn and who was not just looking at their reactions. Of course, everyone was in awe. Some Sixth and Seventh year students got lost in the awe of the Charms and Rune work on the ceiling. But, there was a difference in degree. He watched as everyone got sorted, nothing particularly shocking about any of them.

The only thing of note was another Creevey boy, who took after his brother in their obsession with the Boy-Who-Lived. As he sat down at Gryffindor table, one could see Thomas visibly flinch a bit once the bombardment of questions began.

Harry just smiled and started eating, as the food had suddenly appeared on the table. Even some of the non-Muggleborns gasped at the sight of the food suddenly appearing on empty plates. Harry smiled and helped himself, while next to him Luna seemed to be quite a bit more picky. She seemed more content to help herself to some pudding and fiddle with her Dirigible Plum earrings.

When they had all finally finished eating (not without some kind of commotion at the Gryffindor table, including Sir Nicholas's head almost falling off), Dumbledore got back at the podium, and announced the usual "Filch and Forbidden Forest spiel".

It was only at the end that he announced what half the school already knew, but still wanted confirmation of.

"It is also my painful duty to inform you that the Inter-House Quidditch Cup will not take place this year."

To those who didn't know why, this sparked outrage. Thomas and the three Weasley males seemed especially affronted.

"This is due to an event that will start in October. I am pleased to announce that-"

Whatever Dumbledore was about to say was cut off as the doors to the Great Hall burst open, revealing a hooded man with a staff. As he walked towards the teachers' table, a dull clunk was heard from his staff. Suddenly a bolt of lightning flashed across the sky, revealing his countenance to all.

"Mad-Eye Moody," Harry whispered in reverence. The man that put so many Death Eaters away, the famous Auror.

Upon reaching the Head Table, Moody shook hands with Dumbledore, exchanging some unheard words before taking the gestured seat on the right hand side.

z"May I introduce our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher? Professor Moody.

A handful of people clapped, none of them from Slytherin. Many in that house could consider Moody to be a threat, to both themselves and their family. Most people were just shocked, at both the person himself and his appearance.

Harry could see Thomas and Ron whispering about something while sending furtive glances up Moody's way.

"And now, as I was saying, it is my pleasure to inform all of you, that we will have the honor of hosting a legendary event, one not held in over a century. This year, The Triwizard Tournament will be taking place at Hogwarts!"

"You're JOKING!" Both of the Weasley twins shouted, their voices ringing in unison.

"I assure you that I am not joking, Messrs. Weasley. Although, now that you mention it-"

He was cut off by a stern gaze and cough from McGonagall.

"Ah, yes, as I was saying, The Triwizard Tournament, for those of you that don't know, is a competition in which a chosen champion from each school of Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang will compete in three magical tasks. It was a friendly competition started 700 years ago, but discontinued because of the mounting death toll."

There was some hushed whispering at the last statement, although the excitement about the tournament overcame it.

Dumbledore continued on, and even at Ravenclaw, many people were whispering about entering. Harry himself was disinterested. But soon, Dumbledore caught the attention of most of the population again with this statement:

"Eagar though I know all of you will be to bring the Triwizard Cup to Hogwarts, the heads of the three schools along with the French and British Ministries have agreed to impose an age restriction on the entry of students. Only wizards or witches who are of age, that is to say the age of seventeen or above, will be allowed to put forward their names for consideration." Many people started protesting in silence, and Dumbledore raised his voice to be heard. "This is a precaution that we feel necessary to ensure the protection of the students, given that the tasks are still extremely dangerous. In order to enforce this, I will be ensuring that no one underage we will be able to put their name forth to our impartial judge, who will select the champions."

Upon hearing about a judge, many people could be seen whispering, presumably about how to trick such a judge.

"Now, the delegations from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be here in October. Until then, you still have classes tomorrow, so off to be all of you. Chop chop."

There was a bustle as all four of the Houses got up from their seats to go to their respective dormitories.

Harry, being seated closer to the teachers, took longer to get there, and the prefects had already finished explaining the rules to the first-years. He started to slip through the crowd to the front.

"-and while most questions will be magical, some may just about the world in general."

The knocker on cue started a riddle of the latter: "It can be seen but not touched. It has no weight, but if you put it in a barrel,"

"it becomes lighter. A hole," Harry finished, somewhat impatient to get to his room. By this time, he had already gotten a fair bit of attention.

"Correct," the knocker said, swinging the door open.

"Harry, you couldn't at least wait until it finished the question?" the prefect asked exasperatedly.

"Sorry Marcus, I'm a bit impatient," Harry shrugged, grinning slightly as he said this. He set off towards the Common Room.

He went up the staircase to his dorm, only to find his dormmates already waiting for him. "Good summer Harry?" Stephen asked.

"Relatively good. Got to see the Quidditch World Cup. Didn't stay long enough to see the Dark Mark though," Harry joked lightly. "Anyway, I'm going to catch some sleep."

Harry started to lie in bed, pondering what Dumbledore announced. _'Trouble comes every year. And with the Tournament, it's pretty obvious what the source was. How will Thomas get involved this time?'_


	5. Chapter 5: Beauxbatons and Durmstrang

**A/N: Sorry about the delay about the last chapter. I am beginning to write this immediately, seeing as the gap was so long. After this, I am HOPING to release one chapter every week, if I finish beforehand, the "timer" so to speak will reset. Finals really killed, and so if there are any inconsistencies in the last chapter, sorry. I have lots of different story ideas in my head. I don't know how other authors do it. Sorry for shorter chapters. I find it easier on me to do short chapters. Anyway, thanks for reading.**

 **Also, someone offered to beta, and this would be the first chapter that is beta'ed, so shoutout to laxrocks4**

Chapter 5:

October 30, 1994

Harry stood off to the side of the crowd, waiting for the arrival of the other two schools. School so far had been a breeze. Most of it consisted of taking the theory of magic he had learned during his first several years at Hogwarts and applying it to spell casting. While theory of subject alone does not a master make, combined with his understanding and being somewhat naturally adept, Harry did more than get by.

He always felt the reason a lot of people didn't do well, because they view all the assignments as a chore instead of taking the opportunity to use them as tools to better understand magic itself.

Harry was broken from his musings as he heard a series of gasps coming from the crowd.

"Look at the sky! There!"

Everyone looked up to where the sixth year was pointing, just above the Forbidden Forest.

"It's a dragon!" a first year shrieked.

"No, it's a flying house!" the younger Creevey brother exclaimed.

His guess ended up being closer, the object in question revealing itself to be a carriage drawn by massive horses. _'Abraxans,'_ Harry thought to himself, impressed.

The carriage slammed to a stop on the grounds right after the giant equines. The carriage itself was the size of a large house, definitely big enough to fit whatever size delegation the school decided to send. Before the doors opened, Harry was barely able to stop the coat of arms, two crossed wands emitting stars.

' _Beauxbatons then.'_

As the door opened, a small boy in pale blue robes rushed out and laid down a set of golden steps. Soon after, the biggest woman Harry had seen stepped out of the carriage. She towered over the students, as tall as Hagrid. Something about her stance emanated power, authority.

As Dumbledore started to clap, the students followed suit. The headmaster started to make his way forward to greet the recent arrivals.

"Madame Maxime," he said, kissing her hand, not needing to bow as a result of her great height. "Welcome to Hogwarts."

"Dumbly-dore, I hope I find you well?"  
 **A/N: I will not be doing accents (ie 'ope instead of hope). It's just something I don't feel like thinking about)**

"I'm in excellent form, thank you."

"My pupils, may they be go inside to warm up?" Madame Maxime asked, as she gestured behind her. There stood dozens of boys and girls, all of them shivering due to their fine, but thin silk clothes. Some had scarves or shawls, but none looked prepared for the colder English weather. Some even sneered in front of them at the castle.

"Ah yes, make yourselves at home." Dumbledore said. More than one students seemed to cough at that.

As the French students made their way past the gathered Hogwarts students and Maxime discussed the abraxans' care with Dumbledore, the Hogwarts students remained outside to await the arrival of the students of Durmstrang. They kept looking to the sky.

"What kind of horses do you think will pull their carriage?" Ron asked Thomas.

"Who knows, but if they're any bigger than the French's, even Hagrid won't be able to take care of them.

' _Idiots. Why would Durmstrang arrive in the same way?'_

Right on cue, Harry noticed a weird bubbling noise, and soon after Lee Jordan yelled out, "The Lake!" Everyone turned in unison, to see a ghostly ship begin to rise out of the waters of the Black Lake. As it emerged, bobbed and rocked on the surface, before stableizing. The sails unfurled and it glided towards the bank, the thud of a plank announcing their landing. The first off the ship was a man with sleek, silver hair, with a fur coat to match.

"Dumbledore!" he called heartily. "How are you?"

"Blooming, thank you Professor Karkaroff," Dumbledore replied. Karkaroff was much like Dumbledore, tall and thin with white hair. But his hair was shorter, and he had a goatee.

"Dear old Hogwarts," Karkaroff said, smiling while he shook hands with Dumbledore. But while Dumbledore's smile and ease was sincere, Karkaroff seemed to try to force himself to feel comfortable. However, the signs of his discomfort remained: fidgeting, furtive eyes, and no confidence in his voice. "How good it is to be here. Come, Victor, into the warmth." Karkaroff beckoned towards one of his students, who started coming forwards. As the boy emerged from the crowd, exciting whispering erupted.

"-'s Krum!"

"Why is –"

"-still in school?"

As Krum walked by, he caught notice of Harry, and nodded towards him. Harry nodded back.

' _Not a fan of fame, then?'_

Krum made his way inside, leading the way for the rest of the Durmstrang students. Karkaroff and Dumbledore continued to chat as they followed. Harry could have sworn the Durmstrang headmaster had a smirk on his face as he listened to all the whispers and hushed conversations going on around him about Krum.

Harry merely made his way towards the Great Hall and took a seat at Ravenclaw table. It seemed that the Beauxbatons delegation had already decided to sit there, looking decidedly unhappy. Although, there were still a few that decided to enjoy their surroundings and sat in awe of the enchanted ceiling above them. There was some bickering at the Gryffindor table that stopped once the Durmstrang delegation decided to join the Slytherin table.

At the staff table, Filch was setting out extra chairs, two on either side. Harry figured 3 were for the visiting headmasters and the ministry representative, but unaware of who the final chair belonged to.

Dumbledore finally finished his conversation with Karkaroff and stood at the center of the staff table, and silence fell over the hall as he started speaking.

"Good evening ladies, gentlemen, ghosts, and most importantly, guests. It is my great pleasure to welcome you to Hogwarts, where I hope your stay will be both comfortable and enjoyable."

Someone from the Beauxbatons delegation lightly scoffed, and Harry couldn't exactly blame her. The castle could be foreboding, its stone walls cold and hard.

"But for now, let us eat. The tournament will officially begin at the end of the feast, so dig in."

On cue, a mass of food appeared on the table. Neither of the visiting schools seemed particularly surprised, after all, this was a magical castle. Some appeared a bit startled, so maybe their schools did things slightly differently. Although, perhaps they were startled at the fact that there were some foreign foods, probably to accommodate for the different tastes of the foreign competitors. Harry saw a dish that looked like meatballs and pasta in some sort of sauce, possibly a cheese. He didn't particularly want to try the French dishes, as he had taken a trip there once.

As Harry was eating, he noticed a couple of guys alongside him stiffen and stare behind him. He looked behind him, and his first thought was _'Well shit.'_ Behind him was a Beauxbatons student. It also just happened to be the girl he saved. He thought that she had recognized him, and that she was going to reveal his actions, and startled as he was, he almost blurted it out himself. He only just caught himself to see what it was the girl wanted.

"Excuse me, are you wanting the bouillabaisse?" Harry looked around, and found the dish.

"Have it," he said handing it to her and turning back to his food, not wanting to risk getting found out.

"You have finished with it?" she asked while taking it.

"Yea, it was excellent," one of the boys said breathlessly, Marcus Belby. The girl herself seemed to frown at Belby's reaction, but simply turned away back towards her spot and walked away.

Anthony Goldstein, who happened to be sitting nearby, whispered excitedly, "She's a Veela!"

While some girls scoffed and just mocked the boy, Harry gave the thought some credence. A lot of the male students' head's turned to follow her progress, and in a more in just a passing manor, almost like a trance.

' _So why not me?'_

He pondered this question for just a moment, before realizing that he better finish his food before it disappears. And low and behold, he had barely stopped eating for a minute when the main course ended, and dessert replaced the remnants of the feast. Soon enough, that, too, disappeared and Dumbledore drew everyone's attention to the staff table by standing. Harry had failed to notice the two new arrivals, Crouch as he had predicted, and Ludo Bagman. _'International Cooperation and Magical Games, makes sense. But I should have noticed their presence.'_ Harry mentally berated himself.

An odd mix of tension, fear, and excitement filled the Hall.

"Now," Dumbledore started, smiling with a twinkle in his eye, "the moment has come to begin the tournament. But first, let me introduce to you, for those that do not know, the Head of the Department of International Cooperation, Mr. Bartemius Crouch, and Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports, Mr. Ludo Bagman." There was a smattering of applause for both representatives, more for Bagman than Crouch, but most students were just eager for the tournament. "It was these two who worked in our Ministry to come to agreements with the other two schools and their corresponding Ministry's to organize the tournament, and they, along with each school's head, will serve as judges for the tournament."

"And now, for the judge, Mr. Filch if you would."

At the word, Filch brought in a wooden chest encrusted with jewels, and everyone in the hall craned their necks to try to catch a glimpse.

Once it reached the front, each of the heads tapped it with their wands, and it opened. Then, Dumbledore reached inside and brought the mysterious artifact into everyone's view.

At first glance, it was an unimpressive wooden goblet. Or, it would have been, had it not been full of blue flames, small tendrils of which were licking the edge and threatening to escape its enclosure.

"This is the Goblet of Fire. It will be the impartial judge that will select each school's champion, the person it deems most worthy of representing their school. Anyone who wishes to submit their name for consideration must write their name and school on a slip of parchment and drop it into the flames of Goblet. To prevent anyone who is not of age from entering the competition, I will be personally drawing an Age Line around the Goblet that will not allow anyone younger then seventeen to cross."

Harry heard some whispering from Gryffindor table, specifically from the Weasley twins and the mention of an Ageing potion. After mentally scoffing, he turned back to Dumbledore.

"I wish to impress upon all of you the dangers of the Tournament. While it is true that the Tournament has been altered from the past in order to increase its safety, it is still a dangerous event that the organizers have deemed only those who are of age capable of competing. Placing your name in the Goblet constitutes a magically binding contract tied to the act of writing your name on the parchment. If you should be chosen, you are required to see the Tournament through to the end, either its end, or yours."

At that, the chatter had finally died down, and some of the excitement had vanished, which Harry was sure was Dumbledore's goal.

"Now, I think it's time for bed. Good night to all of you."

Harry started to make his way towards the doors when he realized there was a crowd gathering. When he got to the doors, he realized why, and typically, Thomas was involved. Many of the Durmstrang students were staring at Thomas. The cause was clear: Karkaroff himself was staring at Thomas with an almost dumbfounded expression. Then, Moody started limping over to the group. As the two professors got into something of an altercation, Harry slipped past them and towards Ravenclaw Tower.

The next morning, almost everyone was up earlier than usual, even Harry.

"What's the matter, Harry? I thought you weren't that interested in the Tournament," Kevin Entwhistle commented.

"Hey, I'm a Ravenclaw. I want to know whose entering. While we don't know who or what counts as 'worthy', knowing the entrant and those who are selected might give me some extra insight into those people."

"Always the academic, Harry." Boot sighed, rolling his eyes.

"What can I say?" Harry shrugged his shoulders.

"Aren't you even the least bit excited for this? And for that matter, don't you want to enter at all?"

"And risk dying? No, thank you." _'Not that that's too much of a worry. I more just don't want to risk revealing my hand.'_

"Come on, Dumbledore would save us if anything happened."

"But what if he couldn't? What if he was prevented from interfering because of the Tournament?"

"Harry's got a point." Anthony piped in. "Dumbledore said the champions were obligated to compete, possibly to _their_ end. That might mean Dumbledore wouldn't be able to help."

By this time, the boys had made it to the Common Room, where apparently plans had already been made, because the girls were waiting for them.

"I'm glad that at least a couple of you have some common sense. If Dumbledore is worried for us, then we obviously shouldn't try to enter," Padma Patil scolded the other guys.

They all went to the Entrance Hall, where there were already student milling around, some nervous, all excited though. A couple of them were looking at the Age Line in the floor, trying to see if there were any way they could around the enchantment. He saw the 'Golden Trio' among those watching the goblet. Soon, though, laughter echoed around the Entrance Hall. The Weasley Twins, and their friend Lee Jordan, had apparently finished their Ageing Potion.

"We did it lads."

"One drop each, since we only had a couple of months before our seventeenth."

"I'm not sure this is going to work," Granger said, in that annoying 'I know better than you' voice, although, Harry was forced to agree. While Dumbledore may be neither omnipotent nor omniscient (although he was sure Granger would argue otherwise), he would have certainly though of Ageing Potions when drawing the line.

The twins decided to jump in at the same time, and they leapt across the golden line together. They both yelled in joy at their apparent success, and Lee Jordan was about to join them when suddenly, they were violently expelled from the circle. When they got up, they were both sprouting beards that were almost as impressive as Dumbledore's. As they got up and looked at each other's beards, they just howled with laughter, starting to stroke their beards, pretending they were wise men and such.

Dumbledore came in, and soon, the twins headed off towards the Infirmary. As they were leaving, the group decided to grab breakfast. They decorations were all different due it being Halloween, and Harry decided to go sit with Susan and Hannah.

"Good morning ladies." He got a smile in return.

"Morning Harry," Susan greeted. "Do you know anybody in Ravenclaw who is entering?"

"Well, I suspect Roger Davies will. Beyond that, maybe, I don't know, _everyone who's of age?_ " he replied, putting bacon, eggs, and toast on his plate.

Hannah slapped his shoulder. "Don't be a prat Harry. It doesn't become you."

Harry just smirked. "What about in Hufflepuff?"

"Most of us are hedging our bets on Cedric Diggory," Susan replied, and the two girls seemed to get a faraway look in their eyes.

"Earth to Susan, Earth to Hannah." That seemed to snap them out of it. "Yea, he seems like a good bet. Cassius Warrington is also rumored to have submitted his name, and I'm betting Angelina Johnson is going to submit her name from Gryffindor. So it looks like from each house, those are the main contenders."

Hannah nodded. "Davies, Diggory, Johnson, and Warrington. All pretty viable."

Harry nodded, more out of habit because he was a bit preoccupied with his food.

Susan cut in. "You think your brother is going to try to enter? I heard the Weasley twins were sporting some impressive beards after their attempt, along with some others."

"Honestly, I don't know. He seems a bit more subdued recently. That could be from a number of things."

"Do you think he knows about… you?"

"I'm almost sure he doesn't. He just had a bit of a news flash the past few years."

They ate in silence for a while before Hannah brought the topic back to the tournament.

"So, who do you think will be chosen for Hogwarts?"

"If I had to choose, probably Diggory."

"Really!?" "Not any of the others?"

"Davies may be a Ravenclaw, but I don't know how well he would do in the Tournament. Warrington is all talk. The only other person who I would consider is Johnson. But Diggory is smart, quick on his feet, creative, and admittedly good looking, although I don't know if the Goblet will consider that."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence Potter, although I have to turn you down for a date if that's what you're asking for."

"That's too bad Diggory, you're missing out on a good time," Harry replied without missing a beat, still focused on his breakfast.

"But still, hearing that from you is a nice confidence boost. Turner seems to put a lot to your word."

"Well, take it for what's it worth. I'm not right 100% of the time. You're just the best bet from my perspective."

"I'll take what assurance I can get. Morning Bones, Abbott."

"Morning." The both of them replied.

"Would you two mind if I stole Potter for just a moment, ladies?"

The two almost seemed to swoon but Harry just quipped back, "Who's supposed to be playing for the other team? But I've finished with breakfast, so I'll come. See you in class later."

As Diggory took him outside the Great Hall, he caught a glimpse of the Beauxbatons delegation all putting their names in the Goblet. His eyes met with the girl from the World Cup, and he kept looking until she turned away. Diggory had finally made it to an empty classroom.

"You know, after our joking around earlier, this seems very suspicious."

"Sorry, I just wanted to ask you about something."

"Go ahead Diggory, although if this is about a date…"

"Ok, jokes aside, it is."

"-What?"

"A date with Cho Chang." Diggory's serious face broke out into a grin. "Oh Merlin! You should have seen your face. The unshakable Harry Potter."

Harry grumbled under his breath. Once he regained composure, he spoke. "So, Chang, huh? You want to know more about her?" Diggory nodded. "Well, firstly, if we're going to talk about this, can we do it on a first name basis?"

"Sure Harry."

"Ok Cedric. So, I can only tell you a little bit. Chang is loyal, and while some are a pretty face and little else, she's not. She's very kind and has been nice to me since my first year. She also really likes the Tutshill Tornadosas as you well know, she's the seeker for Ravenclaw, so that might give you some common ground. If you really want to get good details, ask Marietta Edgecombe. Although, she might not willingly release that information."

"Why? loyalty?"

"No, because she doesn't want to help you date someone else."

"Ah, well, thanks for the advice Harry. And thanks again for the vote of confidence."

"You're welcome. I don't select the Champions, although that would be interesting." Harry chuckled. "Anyway, I want to relax and get some work done before lunch, so I'll see you around Cedric. Don't tell Roger, but good luck."

"Thanks Harry."

Cedric went deeper into the castle from that point, whereas Harry went to the Black Lake. It was pretty chilly, so his muffler was appreciated. Because of that, not a lot of people were outside, even though the lake still provided a great view.

Harry sat down, resting on a tree. He got out his Transfiguration homework started on his essay. _'Her most gifted student this year, and she still makes me write on Cross Species switches.'_

Harry had just finished describing why transfigurations were easier the more physically alike the target object is to the intended result, when he heard footsteps and a soft *thump*, indicating someone else had taken a seat nearby.

When he looked to his right, the Beauxbatons girl from the welcoming feast the night before had sat on the edge of the lake, nearby. She seemed to be lost in her own world, thinking. _'Of all the people to meet, it's the person who might out me for what I really am. The hair and eyes are okay, but the scar…'_ Harry steeled himself and decided he needed a bit more information regardless of the consequences.

"If you're looking for more bouillabaisse today, I'm sorry to disappoint you."

That seemed to snap her out her of her reverie as she started a bit and looked around, finally, noticing him leaning against the tree. Contrary to the confidence she had portrayed earlier, now she seemed more withdrawn and careful, ready to step back at a moment's notice.

"So it would seem," she replied, not wanting to lose too much of her composure. "I don't believe that the two of us have been introduced."

Harry started putting away his homework and replied, "Isn't it usually polite to introduce oneself first?"

"You're the one who brought attention to yourself."

"Fair," he shrugged. "Harry Potter," he said, holding out his hand.

She seemed a bit shocked, but went on to say, "Fleur Delacour," shaking his hand in the process.

"Delacour, as in Jean Sebastian Delacour?" He said, slightly shocked. _'This might be tricky.'_

"Why yes, how are you acquainted with my father?" She asked, instantly curious.

"I'm familiar with the name, James is an Auror."

"James?"

"My father."

"Oh." Fleur didn't know what to say to that.

"So, are you a Veela?"

"And what makes you ask that? You personally seem to have no reaction."

"I noticed the impact you have on others and wondered why I was mostly unaffected."

Fleur looked at him, wondering how much she should say, but decided that, since he seemed to be immune, there couldn't be too much harm.

"I am a Quarter-Veela. My mother is a half. From that side, I gain some affinity to fire, as well as beauty and the Allure, the latter two of which are more curses than blessings."

"I can understand that."

"Can I ask you a question?" the French witch inquired.

Harry nodded, waiting for the inevitable.

"What's with you scar?" Harry looked up, pleasantly surprised that the obvious question about his brother didn't come. However, he still had to be careful not to say too much about the scar.

It's from when I was little, I suppose. I don't really remember life without it, although a few pictures of mine don't show it, so it can't be a birthmark."

"Huh. It is a very… interesting shape." Fleur moved a little closer to look at it, but Harry turned away, fearing that she might connect the dots.

"Anyway, I need to put these away and grab some other books. I'll see you around. Good luck with the champion selection!" Harry started walking away briskly. He needed somewhere to concentrate and practice. After getting some food from the kitchens, he dropped his stuff off at Ravenclaw tower and quickly pulled the Marauder's Map out of his trunk.

He walked towards the seventh floor and checked the map, making sure no one was around, thinking about _'a place where I can meditate without being disturbed'_ , and sure enough, a door appeared in the wall. He walked in, making sure the room locked the door behind him before looking around.

No matter his request, the room never ceased to amaze him. And with this specific request, it never in his memory provided him with the same place. There was a forest indoors, with a small brook babbling through a clearing. Right in the middle, there was a rock that was perfect for sitting, with some sunlight filtering in through the leaves of the canopy.

Harry sat down and relaxed and started channeling. He was getting better. It was almost instant. He opened his eyes and willed a snowflake into existence. A meter-long snowflake. It grew from his palm, taking the same shape as his now glowing scar.

The room started to change shape as his focus shifted from meditation to practice. With his left hand, he channeled ice while with his right hand he casted. The room provided the targets, and while it couldn't provide spells, he enchanted some small golf-ball sized objects to fly around the room, forcing him to be on his toes and practice dodging spells.

He pulled out his wand, a black ebony wand with a core of Basilisk fang and venom inside, 11¼ inches long. It was quite difficult to procure, but coating the inside of the wand with ground fang helped to protect the wood from the corrosive liquid. The result was a wand that was rigid, but not unyielding. He let out a Reductor, blasting a target to pieces. He continued with this until he noticed it was getting late. As a last exercise, he multiplied the numbers of targets and flying balls until the room was filled with the chaos of spells and splinters.

He concentrated as he did during the summer, surrounding himself before releasing the power in one blast. As his vision cleared, he could see most of the objects were impaled. About a quarter of them were still moving about or buzzing around the room. In an indiscriminate attack, 75% wasn't bad, but it was not efficient for how tired the attack made him. He would have to think of a way to tweak it.

He exited the room and started to make his toward the Great Hall. He started to hurry when he heard the sound of cheers and figured that they must have started the champion selection process. Harry entered right as the Goblet spit out a piece of paper, and found that mildly intriguing. He then noticed that there was some confusion amongst the students, one whisper in particular catching his ear: "-already three champions."

Harry sighed and started walking to Ravenclaw table, thinking that this is where the mess starts and Thomas gets involved. Again. But, he was wrong.

"Harry Potter."

He looked up sharply, quickly catching the eyes of his friends, the teachers, and Dumbledore. Harry wasn't often afraid, but this was new territory. And Dumbledore seemed confused, apprehensive, and most worrisome of all to Harry, anxious. He didn't stand up until Dumbledore repeated his name.

"Harry Potter!" Now he was sure it wasn't a mistake, and stood up. Many Hogwarts students weren't looking at him, preferring to whisper and gossip. Those who did had either faces of anger or sympathy. He wanted an explanation.

As he made his way towards the front, Dumbledore gestured him to the Antechamber, presumably where the other champions were waiting. This would be fun.

 **By request, a simple character profile, and also a list of students that I am working with.**

 **Harry Potter:** Brother to Thomas Potter. A Ravenclaw student whose closest friends are Hannah Abbott and Susan Bones. Likes to be alone, but has been coming out of that recently. Is on good terms with most of Ravenclaw. He is an ice elementalist. While he is intelligent, he isn't proficient in many branches of magic that don't require spell casting, specifically Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures (with the exception of potions). Harry's hair is the same color as James, but a little neater, but he has Lily's eyes. Similar to the books. He also has a scar that simply looks like a line with a few branches coming off. When using his elemental powers, the scar glows blue and kaleidoscopes, turning into a snowflake, and his eyes turn icy-blue and his hair white. Height maybe around 5'4"? His best classes are DADA and Transfiguration.

 **Susan Bones:** Hufflepuff, best friends to Harry Potter and Hannah Abbott. Was not on good terms with Harry at the beginning of first year. One of two people who knows Harry is an elemental. In terms of looks here, same as the books. A strawberry blonde girl of average height.

 **Hannah Abbott:** Hufflepuff, best friends to Harry Potter and Susan Bones. Was not on good terms either through association to Susan. One of two people who knows Harry is an elemental. In terms of looks, same as books (I think). A blonde girl of medium-tall height

 **Daphne Greengrass:** An old acquaintance of Harry's. Would typically meet at pureblood gatherings such as balls. Known for her Ice Queen personality, she is a bit of a kindred soul to Harry.

 **Neville Longbottom:** A friend of Harry's. Their fathers were friends from the Auror Department and the Order of the Phoenix, so they would see each other often. He is a timid boy, as both his grandmother and father have high expectations for his success at Hogwarts. His mother is in the Permanent Spell Damage ward.

 **Thomas Potter:** Declared the Boy-Who-Lived by Dumbledore. The Potter family lives in Potter Manor after the cottage in Godric's Hollow was destroyed. He is in Gryffindor and plays seeker for the team. Known for rule breaking, best friends with Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. Thomas looks just like James, same glasses and everything. Only difference is that his hair is somewhat lighter due to Lily's own hair color. He has hazel eyes with a wand of Chestnut and Dragonheartstring, 11 ¼ inches, not a bad spellcaster himself, although often isn't casting or learning at his full potential due to overconfidence.

 **Fleur Delacour:** a Veela girl, 17, who goes to Beauxbatons in France. Her parents are Apolline and Jean Sebastian. Triwizard Champion for her school, she is often scorned by both genders because of her Allure, sticking mainly with her friend Aimee. She is most skilled in Charms, but is no pushover in other areas of magic.

 **Ravenclaw**  
boys:

Harry potter  
Terry boot  
Anthony Goldstein  
Michael Corner  
Stephen Cornfoot  
Kevin Entwhistle  
girls:  
Mandy Brocklehurst  
Padma Patil  
Su Li  
Morag McDougal  
Lisa Turpin

 **Gryffindor**  
boys:  
Thomas Potter  
Ron Weasley  
Seamus Finnegan  
Neville Longbottom  
Dean Thomas  
girls:  
Parvati Patil  
Lavender Brown  
Hermione Granger  
Eloise Midgen  
Fay Dunbar

 **Hufflepuff** :  
boys:  
Justin Finch-Fletchly  
Wayne Hopkins  
Ernie Macmillan  
girls:  
Sally Anne Perks  
Megan Jones  
Hannah Abbott  
Susan Bones  
Leanne

 **Slytherin**  
boys:  
Draco Malfoy  
Thoedore Nott  
Blaise Zabini  
Vincent Crabbe  
Gregory Goyle  
girls:  
Daphne Greengrass  
Tracy Davis  
Millicent Bulstrode  
Pansy Parkinson


	6. Chapter 6: The Fourth Champion

October 31, 1994

Harry stepped through the door, and found himself facing quite a sight. The room itself was decently decorated, with paintings of witches and wizards lining the walls. On the other side, there was a fire going, and the champions were grouped around it, all looking impressive. These were, arguably, the three best of all the witches and wizards the schools of Europe had to offer. As he approached, Fleur noticed him and called out a greeting.

"Hello Harry, do they want us back in the hall?"

Cedric had his back turned, facing the fire, but upon hearing Fleur, turned around. Cedric seemed to catch on that something was off. While Harry was a model student, most teachers would not default to him to send a message. _'Granger would be more likely, being ever so eager to please.'_

There was a sound of scuffling, and soon Bagman emerged from the door. It seemed that he was the first of the organizers to make his way from the great hall. The teachers were probably either recovering from shock or trying to calm the students down.

"Extraordinary. Absolutely extraordinary." Bagman was muttering and grabbed Harry's arm while passing by, heading to the other three. "Gentlemen, lady, may I introduce to you, incredulous through it may seem, the fourth Triwizard Champion? Should the name be changed?" Bagman's thoughts wandered as he trailed off.

At this, all three champions' backs straightened. Victor's eyes were boring into Harry's, judging him, for what, Harry couldn't know. Victor seemed to relax after a moment. Cedric just looked shocked. If anything, Thomas would've been the one Cedric would have betted on getting mixed up in all this. The whole school would have bet on that. Fleur seemed shocked, to the point of disbelief. She looked at Harry, and her eyes screamed betrayal. At what Harry couldn't presume. _I didn't enter myself into this, and it's not like I made a promise to her not to anyway. She doesn't even know me that well.'_

"Very funny joke Mister Bagman." Fleur started, but was cut off.

"Oh, it's no joke. As he can tell you himself, Harry's name came out of the Goblet."

"But he is too young! He cannot compete."

"Well, the Goblet chose, so-"

Bagman was interrupted by the sound of the doors opening, and a mass of footsteps as many professors came in. Harry could see Dumbledore leading them, along with the other Heads of the schools, McGonagall, Moody, Snape, and Crouch.

"Madame Maxine!" Fleur sought out her Headmistress. "They are saying that this little boy is to compete as well!"

Before Madame Maxine could even get a word in, Harry interjected, "I am not, a little boy," his emerald eyes sparkling with anger. Fleur took a step back.

"Th- I didn't mean."

"What is the meaning of this, Dumbly-Dorr?"

Harry just tuned everyone else out at this point. He could hear all of the professors arguing with each other. Snape was pointedly quiet, something that was noticed by both Harry and Dumbledore. Had it been Thomas, Snape would have been glowing with the chance to revile the younger Potter. _'I respect his work, but his personality, even if his malevolence is directed towards Thomas, is quite terrible.'_

He sat back thinking. _'Who put my name in? To what purpose? Is it to draw me out? Did someone witness my battle? But why wouldn't they just oust me? Why go through this trouble? Is it Pettigrew? But again, why target me?_ ' All these thoughts swirled around in Harry's head. Finally, one thought appeared. _'Something has changed. The status quo has shifted without me realizing it. What could it be?'_

"Enough." An icy chill spread, despite the fire roaring beside them, and several people unconsciously shivered, all of them thinking it was due to Harry's tone of voice. Bagman's giddy smile dropped, and Moody and Crouch's frowns just deepened, if that was possible.

Harry turned to Crouch. "Is there no way out?"

Crouch shook his head. "The Goblet judges people based on the magic in the ink. Everyone has a magical signature, and that normally bleeds out slightly. Normally, that wouldn't be enough to enforce a magical contract and a Blood Quill would be required, but with an artifact as powerful as the Goblet of Fire…" he trailed off.

"Accio." Harry summoned the piece of paper from Dumbledore's hand and examined the writing. "This is definitely my handwriting. Dumbledore, could you inspect this to see if my magical signature matches later?"

"Of course."

"This doesn't erase the fact that Hogwarts now has two champions!" Karkaroff interjected, his voice booming with anger.

"Yes, two bites at the apple if you will!" Maxine was just as outraged.

"I don't see why you two are angry, Mr. Potter is really the only one that is rightfully complaining." Moody chipped in, and that just brought more outrage.

"Why should he be angry, he has the chance of a lifetime, finally his chance to outshine his brother," Fleur shouted.

That did it. There were a few things that really ticked him off, and this girl managed to do both within 15 minutes. _'I had hoped I could be friends with her too.'_ He pointed his wand at her, causing some panic and a scrambling for wands. "Don't you dare. Thomas is _not_ my brother."

Fleur just gasped, both at the statement, and at the fact that unbeknownst to Harry, his eyes had flashed blue for just a moment. They were instantly green again.

"Why should I be angry, or complaining? Maybe it's because this tournament has a history of its contestants leaving in pieces, if they are lucky enough to leave at all? Maybe because there is an age limit due to the dangers involved, and I am clearly not of that age"

"Aye," Moody chipped in. "Being magically bound to compete is very convenient, isn't it?"

"I fail to see how this is convenient for anyone other than Hogwarts," Karkaroff snorted in disbelief.

"It's convenient for anyone who may want Potter dead. After all, he is now obligated to compete in a potentially deadly tournament."

Silence fell at the statement. After a moment, Harry spoke up. "But why me? Wouldn't my brother be a more likely target?"

"Yes, that is the question. Maybe they want to do away with you, seeing you as a lessor threat?" Moody postulated.

' _If that's what they're riding on, then they're going to be in for a surprise.'_

"There he is. Professor Moody, who sees a conspiracy theory in the type of wood his desk uses. Why in the world would anybody try to kill Potter?"

"Yes, why couldn't he just have entered himself?" Maxine added.

"Besides the Age Line, no older student would have entered Potter because that would have lowered their own chance of success. In addition, it would have taken an exceptionally powerful Confundus Charm in order to trick the Goblet into thinking that there are four schools competing instead of three. The easiest way to get Potter in the tournament was to enter Potter's name under a fourth school as the only entrant to ensure his selection."

"You seem to have given this a fair bit of thought, Mad-Eye. But you've also been rumored to have been senile."

"Just because I am getting old, does not mean I am any less right. It was once my job to think as Dark Wizards do, or don't you remember, Karkaroff."

"Alastor that is enough!" Dumbledore cut in, but Karkaroff was livid and glaring at Moody. "While Alastor's analysis may be correct, there is no way of knowing, and as it is, Harry and Cedric were both chosen by the Goblet to compete." Maxine looked like she wanted to put in her own two cents, but Dumbledore cut her off. "I know you may not like this at all, so if you have an alternative, please, I would love to hear it."

Both Karkaroff and Maxine looked livid but after a moment of silence, Professor Dumbledore said, "Then Mr. Potter is bound to compete."

No one, except Bagman, really looked happy with that.

Harry sighed. "You seem to doubt me still. Fine." He stepped forward and pulled his wand out. A couple of people reflexively started to go for their wands, but stopped when Harry merely held his wand upright. "I swear on my Magic that I did not enter myself in the Triwizard Tournament, nor did I ask someone else to enter my name or take any measures to try to be selected. So mote it be." When he started the oath, there was still some commotion, but by the end, there was dead silence. There was a small flash of light indicating that the oath was genuine.

"Lumos." The small ball of light appeared, verifying Harry's words. "Does this prove anything to you? I don't expect much from the Death Eater, but…"

"You inso-"

"Igor! Please restrain yourself!" Dumbledore practically shouted.

Karkaroff relented, but glared at Harry.

"Harry, please come to my office tomorrow at 8 to discuss your behavior."

Harry shrugged, unremorseful

"Ludo, Crouch, if you will."

"Ah, certainly Dumbledore. Crouch, would you?"

Bagman seemed like a little schoolboy. _'I suppose playing professional Quidditch means never growing up.'_

Crouch stepped forward, and Harry noticed bags under his eyes. "The first task is meant to test your daring, and as such, we will not be telling you what the actual task is until the day of. Your only job is to be prepared to face, or do, anything, in the face of danger. The first task will be on the twenty-fourth of November."

"To keep things fair and make sure everyone is performing at their own capabilities, no help is to be given to the champions from their teachers. The champions themselves will be armed with only their wands for the First Task. Information about the Second Task will be given upon completion of the First. Congratulations on being chosen by the Goblet, and good luck to you all."

Harry instantly started to leave, and Cedric started following after him. Once they were away a bit, he called out, "Harry!"

Harry turned around, and saw the Hufflepuff had a look of concern on his face.

"A-Are you okay?"

Harry's eyes relaxed. "I'm fine, I just. I'll do my best. But this is unexpected. When I first stepped into the hall and a piece of paper came out, I heard that three champions had already been chosen. So I expected my Thomas to be the one getting mixed up in this." Harry gave a dark laugh. _'Will I need to use my powers? No, probably not. But, there's still the matter of me even being chosen.'_

"Haha, yea. Remember second year?" Harry fingered his wand, ready in his holster.

"Yea, very well. People kept saying Thomas was the Heir of Slytherin, and then that spread to me!" Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of silver hair and saw Fleur and Maxine coming. "Anyway Cedric, good luck. I would have been rooting for you, but well now…" He shrugged his shoulders. "Tell Hannah and Susan that I'll talk to them in the morning."

"Will do Harry, try not to get yourself killed."

Harry turned back around. He resignedly made his way to Ravenclaw Tower. Once he reached the eagle knocker, it came to life.

"It's so essential to magic, that they might be one and the same. What is it?"

"Intent."

For once, the door did not open for Harry. The first thing Harry learned that magic was all about intent. Intent shaped magic, gave it form and purpose. It gave it-

"Life."

"Correct, well thought out."

Magic always existed, will always exist. But without life, something to use it, what use would it be? Life itself could be considered magic, especially to wizardkind.

As he stepped inside, there was silence. In Gryffindor, there would undoubtedly be cheers, same with Hufflepuff. Slytherin, there would probably admiration, but just as in here, there might also be resentment.

"What?"

Roger Davies was the first to speak up. "How did you do it?"

Harry just sighed. "I didn't Davies."

"Bollocks, how else would you have been chosen? And why didn't you tell any of us?" Michael Corner spoke up.

"Because I didn't enter. Moody reckons that someone Confounded the Goblet into thinking there was a fourth school and entered my name. Dumbledore seems to agree."

"Well, Dumbledore's probably just covering for you, same as your brother."

A lot of people had been around Harry, but suddenly, there was a mountain of space. Looking around, it was mostly the Fourth Years and up that had gathered around. Instantly, Harry had his wand in his hand, pointed at Michael's nose.

"Say that again, will you?" Harry said while smiling. Michael for his part just gulped as he stared down the wand.

"Did you never wonder why no one ever asked me that? Why your friends told me not to? Because while you were busy trying to kiss Thomas's ass and become his friend, most everyone here figured out that I am _not_ Thomas's brother. Depulso."

Michael flew backwards, landing on one of the armchairs and flipping it over. Harry turned around, and the crowd parted for him, no one wanting to get in his way. As he reached the staircases, he saw Luna smiling at him. He smiled back, knowing someone believed him. He turned back around, and could still see some doubtful faces. "I don't care who you support, me, Cedric, or even one of the foreign champions. Cedric after all would have been chosen originally as the rightful Hogwarts champion. But, I really would not like to be doubted by my own house. Evidence is everything, right? I already did this for the professors. Again, he recited his oath, and the flash of light indicating the authenticity oath was once again accompanied by silence. The ball of light with a "Lumos" just put people into silence.

Badly hushed whispers started as he turned back around and went up to his room. He lay down on his bed, exhausted. _'What will I do tomorrow?'_

Fleur's mind was racing. There were a million things running through her mind. She was glad she would finally be able to prove herself. _'Hell, even getting selected by the Goblet proves something to my classmates. No way I can seduce a magical object. Although, if that grizzly professor is correct, one might be able to confound one._ "

Harry confused her. He also intimidated her. His attitude had totally changed from the afternoon. He was hostile, testy, but most of all impressive. His presence and attitude seemed to be able to demand attention when wanted.

There were two things that Fleur was stuck up on. One was her own stupidity. In her anger and outrage, she let something slip from her mouth. Honestly, in that moment, she was as judgmental as the very girls she hated. She should have known something was up when he referred to his own father by first name. But, her comment about his brother, while she regretted it, also revealed a lot. It led to the second thing she was pondering.

' _I still don't know if it was a trick of the light. But, I could have sworn that his eyes were actually blue for a moment. And then, there was also that chill I felt. It could still have been just goosebumps, but I need to make sure.'_

She started to right to her father.

" _Papa, there is someone I want you to investigate if you have the time. He might be connected to the person at the World Cup. His name is Harry Potter, brother to Thomas Potter. Be careful of going to family though. I have a feeling that they may not be on the best of terms. Love, Fleur."_

Right as she finished writing the letter and sent it off with her owl Napoleon – her father seemed to find humor in having Napoleon be their messenger – her friend Aimee came in.

" _Fleur! You're the champion! I'm so proud of you!"_

Fleur smiled despite herself. Aimee was her friend from before Beauxbatons, and she was one of the few that stood by her, regardless of her heritage.

Aimee made herself at home, kicking off her shoes and sitting down on Fleur's bed.

" _But man, when the fourth slip of paper came fluttering down, we were all shocked. And then that young boy went forth. It's astounding that the host school would cheat! Did Madame Maxine force him to tell how he entered? What about that grouchy looking man from the English Ministry?"_

Fleur had to take a moment to compose herself before answering the bombardment of questions. _"He didn't enter himself Aimee"_

" _Oh come off it, who would have then? Who doesn't want a chance for the Triwizard Cup? Don't tell me you believed him because he was good looking, because, I will admit, those green eyes… A bit too young for my tastes though."_

" _Maybe he didn't enter because he didn't want to die."_

" _Is that what he told you? He probably knows the teachers would save him."_

" _Aimee, he swore an oath."_

" _So wh-"_

" _A magical oath."_

That silenced Aimee. No one quite knew how it worked. Sure, people worked on magical theory, but often times, those were more on applications of magic, like theories on potion making or wand movements. No one quite completely figured out magic completely, what it was. But, oaths made on one's Magic were no joke. Unbreakable Vows could cost you your life while Magical Oaths, well they could cost you your Magic, which many might consider a worse fate.

" _We'll talk tomorrow, okay? It's been a long day."_

" _Okay Fleur."_

Aimee left the room, leaving Fleur to her thoughts. She thought about the day's events while getting ready for bed. As she started to fall asleep, she hoped that her father would be able to answer her questions soon, and decided to try to apologize to Harry when she next saw him.


	7. Chapter 7: The First Task

**A/N: Lol, so I was reading the book, and noticed that it was spelled Maxime, not Maxine. RIP me. Sigh. Sorry for the longer wait on this. I know that I haven't exactly been consistent before now, but I was on vacation recently, and didn't end up having a lot of time to write.**

 **Also, sorry on the long wait. I hit a stump, and then I had to move in to my new apartment and this just took a back seat. I know I tried to have a schedule, but with classes coming up, well, I'll try to get it to be beta asap.**

Harry woke up the next morning wishing that he hadn't. He had been able to escape from everything to the sweet shelter of sleep, but now, it was time to face the music. On the bright side, he had already confessed under Magical Oath that he had nothing to do with the Goblet choosing him, to both the teachers and the students. All he had to do now was to let the Hogwarts rumor mill do its work. It wouldn't stop some of the more persistent ones, specifically Weasley, but it should hopefully quell most action against him. While Ravenclaw wasn't the house of the loyal, it couldn't be said that they didn't use common sense and Harry had his own network. Now, he was really thankful that he was at least on friendly terms with Cedric.

As he got out of bed, he noticed that Michael was still very weary of him. He had already silenced most people's questions about him with a frosty look. Until Susan and Hannah had later apologized, he was mainly a loner, sticking with Daphne and Neville.

As he made his way to the Great Hall, he had noticed that almost everyone stopped to stare at him.

' _I guess this is how Thomas always felt. I got a little bit of this during First year, but at this scale…'_ He saw Fleur sitting further down, and made his way to Ravenclaw table, sitting near the edge next to Luna.

"Hello Harry." Luna never had any problem using people's first name, which often made people wary or put off by her.

"Morning Luna. Good to see that at least you're always as cheerful as ever."

"Yes, although there is a lot of chatter. You seem to be infested with Wrackspurts again. Normally, they leave you alone."

"Peculiar."

Susan and Hannah made their way over to him, ignoring the unspoken rule about sitting with your house. "Cedric came in last night and told us what happened. We never had any doubt, but it was nice to see that Cedric believed you." Susan started. Hannah nodded along.

"Yea, you should have seen Sprout. I don't think I've ever seen her mad. But, after Cedric explained that you took an oath, she seemed to be placated. Although, she spoke the question on all our minds: Why you and not Thomas?"

"Trust me, I've been wondering that since last night. When I came in last night, I could have sworn it was Thomas getting into trouble again."

As they were speaking, Flitwick came up behind them. "Harry, I just wanted to inform you about the Weighing of the Wands ceremony that will be coming up. It will be next week, during Herbology."

' _Oh fantastic, that's going to go well with Sprout. Maybe if I was any good at the subject…'_

"Thanks Professor."

"I'm sorry that you've gotten dragged into this. But, I am sure that you will represent Ravenclaw as well as any other student would."

"Thanks Professor."

As he left, his friends continued talking, Susan the first to pipe up. "So, who do you think put your name in?" Hannah was listening with rapt attention, while Luna was just playing with her toast and making a house, humming all the while.

"I have no idea. Professor Moody thinks that someone Confunded the Goblet into thinking there is a fourth school."

"A Confundus charm? That's it?" Hannah asked.

"Yea, but an exceptionally powerful one. As for who, well, I have no idea. Again, I would have thought that they would have entered Thomas."

"Yea, he does always to get into trouble. First the trouble in First Year with Quirrell, then the Chamber, then the whole debacle with Pettigrew…"

The two girls nodded. "Anyway, we should be off to class. Herbology."

Harry nodded. "I have to get to Transfiguration. I'll talk to you two later."

With that, they got up and split up. As Harry started to make his way towards Transfiguration. As he stepped in, he found that most no one else was there, and decided to sit down and sift through his thoughts.

' _What do I do? Bollocks, I have 24 days to prepare for a task I have no clue about. Why me? Who entered me? Was it Pettigrew? No, I would have seen him on the_ map _. I always have an eye out for him."_

Harry was so engrossed in his thoughts that he didn't realize that someone had entered the room, but he couldn't help but notice the clearing of a throat behind him.

"Ahem."

He looked up and saw Daphne, her blue eyes boring into his. "Good Morning Potter."

"Morning Greengrass." They tended to default to the more formal greeting when they were in public. While not super close nor super distant, they only opened up when around people they knew.

"Am I safe to assume that you didn't put your name in?"

Harry shot her a quick look that said, 'Are you bloody mad?'

"Ok, ok, I was just asking. I sent a letter to Father explaining as such anyway last night. Rumor's going around that you gave a Magical Oath?"

Harry nodded, and Daphne just smacked him in the head. "What the bloody hell was that for?"

"Don't take that tone. You are heir presumptive to an Ancient and Noble House, whether your parents like it, or even know it. That being said, you are a powerful ally, and as much as I hate to admit it, make for decent company. One single oversight in wording could have cost you your magic."

"I know Greengrass, I, unlike my brother, made sure to study very thoroughly when I was young. My wording was perfect to convey my actions: I did not enter myself in the Triwizard Tournament, nor did I ask someone else to enter my name or take any measures to try to be selected. I made sure not to say that I did not write my name on the paper. _That_ could have cost me dearly if Dumbledore's analysis comes back positive"

Daphne just raised her eyebrows.

"The magical contract binding me to compete is dependent on the constantly bleeding magic of people. I need to see if there is a way to stem that." Harry trailed off. "Anyway, some of my magic is infused with the writing, and a powerful object like the Goblet can use even that to make a contract."

"So, what is Dumbledore doing?"

"The only thing he can. He's testing the paper to see if it matches with my magical signature. If it matches, there is nothing he can do, and I'll have to compete. I am meeting with him tonight, but not just for that. I'm supposed to go for a reprimand."

"For what?"

"For calling Karkaroff a Death Eater."

Daphne just started laughing. Soon, other people started filing in.

"What's so funny Greengrass?" Malfoy asked, walking in.

"Nothing Malfoy." Daphne and Malfoy had a staring contest. It was known to people in the right circles that the two of them had a kind of ongoing rivalry. Daphne led one faction, the neutrals, in Slytherin while Draco led the other, the blood purists. Those that sided with Dumbledore in Slytherin were few and far between, and so let themselves be folded into the Neutrals.

While Harry wasn't on terrible terms with Malfoy, he was much closer to Daphne, and that was saying something considering their own relationship. As it was, he gave Daphne his support. The Ice Queen vs the Prince of Slytherin. Harry's support gave her the support of many upper years, all throughout the houses, but the most important of which were in Slytherin. While it may have be Slytherin power struggle, that didn't stop people from other houses from getting involved, and that's where Harry's friends were useful.

The reason he knew them was that he was trying to work on dueling. The Room of Requirement and a penchant for offensive magic could not substitute for an actual opponent. Most of them had scoffed when he had approached them, but after a few had been…. persuaded and Harry's pockets were slightly lighter, they saw the potential. They were the reason he was as good as he was at dueling, and 2 years later, they now came to him. His magical stamina and the power with which he could imbue his spells combined with his quickness made him a formidable dueler. While he couldn't quite beat the sixth and seventh years, his stamina allowed them to practice for longer fights. If he were willing to use his ice, it would be a different story, but their spell repertoire as it was now, was too diverse for him to overcome in a standard duel.

"Potter."

"Malfoy." While Harry had given Daphne his support, Malfoy and he were still on decent terms. While he could accept traditionalist views, he sided more with Daphne.

After a short three way staring contest, more students started coming in, forcing the three to disperse. Soon, McGonagall herself entered the classroom.

"Settle down everyone. If everyone could put their essays on their desk, I will collect them."

As this was standard procedure, there was no rustle as the essays were already there, although there were a couple of quick scratches from quills, mostly from Ravenclaw as people tried to fit in some last detail.

McGonagall waved her wand, but she apparently decided to have a little bit of fun, as instead of summoning all of the parchment, she transfigured legs and charmed all the essays to march to her desk.

"Now that you have researched and written about Cross Species Switches, I want someone to explain why Cross Species Switches are easier the more similar the targets are." She saw Daphne's hand and called on her.

"It is as so because the switching spell is actually a transformation spell. Inanimate switching spells tend to be rather simple because of the lack of moving or living parts. So, similar animals, because of similar appearance or structure require less concentration for a successful transformation."

"Correct Greengrass, 10 points to Slytherin for an excellent explanation."

Daphne smirked towards Harry, who just shrugged. Tracey Davis, her best friend, was giving her a thumbs up for the points.

The rest of the day passed by rather quickly. He spent most of the day in the Room of Requirement with the upper years. He had arranged a kind of dueling club among them. They would alternate, half of them dueling each other while the other half watched each dueler. The half that watched would then give critique to the duelers afterwards.

It was an efficient system that allowed people to learn much more quickly than simple trial and error, and this is turn made the whole group's prowess increase.

Today, he was matched up with Adrian Pucey, a sixth year.

"You know Potter, Warrington was exceptionally mad yesterday after the choosing Ceremony."

"Yea well, I didn't like Warrington anyway, and he had no chance. If he wanted to be champion so badly, he should have used the skill he so proudly boasts about. He can go shove his head up his arse." Harry fired off a volley of stunners and an Incarcerous, just to keep Pucey occupied.

There were more than a couple snickers from the people watching the duels. Most of the others, like Marcus Turner, were too busy concentrating on their opponent.

"Yea well, I know Slytherins aren't the most welcome at Hogwarts," Harry nodded, noting that he only counted 3 from Slytherin not including Pucey. Harry dodged an Expelliarmus, but got hit with a Jelly Legs. He idly dispelled it, waiting for the next spell. "Just thought that the more… courteous of us mind lend a hand. And give you a warning. Warrington might retaliate." With that ending, he transfigured the stone into a circular wall around Harry, before releasing an Aguamenti."

"Glacius." Harry figured that Adrian had been trying to freeze him, so froze the water before it got to him. Harry had to quickly dodge the Percutio spell that broke through the ice.

' _He used the distortion to hide the spel'sl light. Nice.'_ Harry first visualized the stone as multiple sections, before deciding on a transfiguration. He decided to use only the back two thirds so that he still had cover, then transfigured the wall into a stampede of duck sized horses.

As Harry took a second to catch his breath, he looked back. The sudden wave was too much for the sixth year to vanish all at once, although a third of the horses were already gone. While he was still preoccupied, Harry cast a disillusionment charm on himself.

Harry was just about to cast a weak reductor at him when suddenly, Pucey suddenly wordlessly cast an Expelliarmus towards him. The spell caught him off guard and he lost his wand.

"Good job Potter." Rachel Haverford came up to him, patting his back.

"Man, you almost had me there," Pucey said, panting. He handed Harry back his wand.

"The only disappointment is that you should have been more aware. While the transfiguration was a large one, we all know what your stamina is like, so Pucey didn't expect you to continue to take cover and was searching his periphery for shimmers."

"Well…" Pucey interjected. "Something on your mind Potter?"

"Why?"

"Well, you seemed a bit slower than usual."

The other person watching, Elena Turpin, nodded. "Yea, I noticed that too."

"I don't know. Probably the tournament."

"Oh, did I get to you? I didn't mean it, although what I said was true."

Harry shook his head. "It's more than that. If it were just mishap happening to me, I wouldn't care. But someone actively tried to have me compete. How did they even enter me?"

"Well, I have no clue. All of here can promise you it's not a prank by any of us, right?"

Sounds of agreement echoed in the hall. Harry was simultaneously relieved and disappointed. "I almost would have felt better knowing it was you. I would have been furious, but, at least I would know. Anyway, you guys keep practicing. I have to go see Dumbledore."

He said his good-byes as he exited the Room. He was glad to have allies. He knew all of them were fine. He had at first been paranoid about sharing his secret of the Room with them, so had gotten a Blood Quill the summer before second year and had them all sign a contract that the knowledge of the room and how to use it would not be shared, nor would they show it to anyone without getting permission from him. The only exceptions were those who had already known about, which numbered few.

As he made his through the corridors towards the Headmaster's tower, he realized that this was the one time he was counting on Dumbledore. He really wanted some good news.

As Harry got to the gargoyle, he realized, that he didn't know the password. He sighed, randomly naming Muggle candies until the gargoyle started to move on "Snickers." He shook his head at Dumbledore's propensity to make his password Muggle candies, although he supposed that most Purebloods like Lucius Malfoy wouldn't be able to get in.

As he made his way up, he heard Dumbledore's customary "Come in," before he even got to the door. As he entered the room, Dumbledore was sitting at his desk. Harry unconsciously fingered his wands. He looked around for Fawkes, finding him as a chick. Harry wondered if Dumbledore had planned this, knowing that Harry, despite his usually cold nature, couldn't help but fawn over cute things.

"Please sit, Harry."

"It's Mr. Potter. Just because you can call Thomas by his first name doesn't mean you can do the same with me."

"Then please sit Mr. Potter." Harry reluctantly went away from Fawkes.

"I'm afraid that I have bad news. The writing on the parchment is indeed yours."

"I figured as much." When nothing further came out, Dumbledore beckoned for him to continue. "I mean, if they went through the trouble to enter me, they would have made sure to do it correctly. That would be like setting up protections that a first year could get through." Harry mercilessly jibed the Headmaster over the events of first year.

"Yes well, I think we were both hoping for a mistake." Harry nodded. "Mr. Potter, do you have any idea why someone would want to enter you in the Tournament?"

' _I could think of a couple…'_ Harry put up his Occlumency shields. His standoffish nature allowed him to develop them quickly, but they would crumble quickly if Dumbledore really wanted to get in his head. "I have no idea sir."

"Hrmmm…" Dumbledore seemed to be thinking, stroking his beard.

"Sir." Dumbledore looked up at Harry quizzically. "Is it possible that the person who entered my name was attempting to enter my brother? It could have been possible that he or she had just seen "Potter" on the slip of parchment and assumed it was him. I know some haven't heard of me."

"Yes, that is a possibility. But as you said, if they were careful enough to enter your name without getting caught, there is also the very real possibility that _you_ were the target."

"How would they have done it?"

"Quite easily. If anyone had access to the school, they could get anything that you wrote your name on, an essay or assignment, torn your name off, duplicated it and then repaired the parchment." At Harry's suspicious look, he continued. "I have known it was your writing since late last night. I have been up thinking about how it could have happened."

"Of course Headmaster. I know I took an oath, but can I have your confidence that I did not enter myself?"

"Indeed. I looked for any loopholes in your oath, but it was quite sound. But, as there is nothing we can do about your entrance to the tournament, would you like me to inform your mother and father? Or have you already?"

"I normally don't correspond with James and Lily." Dumbledore gave a small frown at the use of the Potters' first names, but brushed it aside.

"Now that we have gotten that out of the way, we must discuss your behavior last night. Harry, why would you aggravate Headmaster Karkaroff like that?"

Harry merely shrugged his shoulders. "To me, he is just a coward. He sold out his fellow Death Eaters just to get out of prison. I'm not saying I don't appreciate having less of them around, but he didn't release those names out of the goodness of his heart. He was attacking my person and character, I'm not going to just sit down and take it, not from him or anyone. No one should dish out anything they in turn can't take."

Dumbledore just sighed. "Harry, you must be better than others."

"Again, it's Mr. Potter. And honestly, I don't care."

Dumbledore looked at him. He kept his emotions in check, and he couldn't skim anything off of the forefront of his mind. Dumbledore just sighed.

"Fine. How did you even find out that he used to be a Death Eater?"

"Isn't it a matter of public record? Even if it wasn't, I've lived around James. He isn't exactly the most discreet person. Once the tournament was announced, I heard about it from James fairly quickly. It wasn't long until he also blurted out some information about Karkaroff, along with a few choice expletives."

Dumbledore would have to have a few words with James. "I must ask you Harry to at least try to get along with Karkaroff."

"I'll stay away from him if he stays away from me."

Dumbledore gave the signal for Harry to go, so he took his leave.

The rest of the days passed in a blur. He spent a lot of time with Susan and Hannah. Amelia was furious when she heard from Susan what had happened. Harry only caught a few snippets from the letter she sent back Susan, including a few choice words like "old bastard" and "castration".

Soon, the day of the Weighing of the Wands had come. Harry resigned himself to his fate, and while he was working with Susan and Hannah, he walked up to Professor Sprout.

"Professor, I'm sorry, but I need to go to the Weighing of the Wands."

Professor Sprout always had liked him because he worked hard, even if he usually got Acceptable's on his assignments.

"Ah, yes, that. Well then, off with you Potter."

Harry was slightly concerned as he walked off, but honestly, it could have been much worse. If it was Thomas in Potions, he wouldn't be surprised if Snape gave him a 0 for the day. His oath and Cedric's vouching for him were probably the reason Sprout was only a little snappy at him.

As he left the Greenhouse, Susan and Hannah smiled at him. He forced a smile on as well, not looking forward to this.

He made his way to the empty classroom Flitwick had told him about. He had, in the beginning, wondered about why so many classrooms in Hogwarts were empty. Then, a bit later, he realized that it must be because of the war. It affected the numbers of teachers, and the numbers of child-bearing witches.

As he looked, however, he couldn't quite find it. However, he saw Cedric walking over, and joined him.

"Morning Harry."

"Cedric."

They walked in silence for a while.

"Hey Potter," Cedric began, but he was interrupted.

"I thought we agreed to be on a first name basis," Harry said, somewhat dryly.

"Ok, then Harry. I just wanted you to know that I've tried telling people to stop wearing those badges."

Harry shrugged. "It's nothing much. It's mainly a ploy by Malfoy to try to discredit me and make me look bad. There's a power play going on in Slytherin House."

Cedric raised his eyebrows. "Really? I haven't heard of it."

"I wouldn't imagine. I'm not saying you're not well respected. But, while you may be a pureblood, that's not your primary identifier. It's something mainly people in those circles know about."

"Then how do you know?"

"I'm friends with one of those involved. Plus, I am still heir to the Ancient and Most Noble house of Potter."

"Hrmm." Cedric seemed to be thinking of what to say next. Harry spoke first.

"But yea, it's fine. Nothing worse really than second year. Really, you'd think some of these people are still first years, the way they act. Not surprising though, seeing as most of those wearing the badges seem to be Gryffindors, probably because it was me instead of Thomas. Hypocrites."

"Anyway, I just wanted to let you know."

"Don't worry about it. They're a minority, and when they realize they were wrong, they'll go back to exactly how they were."

When they had reached the classroom, they had found Fleur and Victor already there. While Fleur was standing in the middle of the room, Victor stood in the corner. Ludo Bagman sat in one of five chairs behind some velvet covered tables, presumably for the five judges.

"Anyway, I'll see you later Cedric."

Harry went off to talk to Victor. He didn't particularly feel like talking to Fleur after the choosing ceremony. He thought that she would understand, at least a little bit, what with her talking about blessings and curses.

Victor, once he had noticed that Harry had come over, grunted a bit and looked over.

"Hey Krum."

Krum nodded his head.

"So, you don't like the attention? I figured as much a week ago, but I thought you would be used to it."

"You can never get used to those vultures. I like playing Quidditch."

"I don't know about Quidditch, but I enjoy flying. Although I make a decent chaser."

Krum looked over. "Want to fly?"

Harry just scoffed a bit. "For fun? Sure? If you want even a remote challenge, ask Cedric. He's also a seeker," he said, pointing towards the unsuspecting Hufflepuff.

Krum nodded, and they sat in silence for a while. "You didn't want to be here."

"Yea, I sai-"

"Last night, you said you didn't enter. But I can tell, you didn't even want to try. Why?"

"It's just, like I said, people die in this tournament. And all the attention, that is not something I want. I won't lower myself to hide, and I always wish to better myself, but this is just unnecessary."

"That's a little bit how I feel. I love Quidditch, and flying, and I want to be the best. But sometimes, the media is too much."

Harry couldn't think of anything to respond with, so it was Krum who spoke up again. "But, I think you should apologize to the French girl."

Harry was about to say something, but Krum cut him off. "Yes, she was out of place. But, while you were justifiably angry, drawing a wand is a bit much. And, I think she was somewhat right. You were angry because somewhere, there was still a part of you that wanted exactly what she said. I can tell in your posture. The others may not pick up on it, but I can sense a tension, a readiness to explode. You may not want to be here, but now that you are, you're ready to win."

Krum walked off, leaving Harry to mull over his words. Maybe he was right. He was always trying to be better, to be better at magic. And he had been thinking about the tournament. Sure, reason about why he was entered, but less so about the more time had passed. Recently, it had been about what the first task would be. He had thought it was to help guarantee his survival, but if he was being honest with himself, he wanted to win.

He looked over to Fleur and Cedric. He decided that he would try to find her afterwards. Rita had been over by Bagman, having her stupid photographer take photos. Harry had a bad feeling about his. Rita started to make her way over.

"Would you care to give an interview, Harry? As the youngest champion?" She had already grabbed his arm and started to make her way over to a door, before Harry wrenched her arm away.

"Actually, I wouldn't. Why don't you just run along Ms. Skeeter?"

She just huffed at him and started to look at the other three champions, but they are grouped together. She then took out her quill, a green little monstrosity, which started to take notes, presumably with Rita muttering under her breath. Harry decided to cast a quick charm at it. A small, delayed charm, and just, in time, as the rest of the judges walked in moments later, along with Mr. Ollivander.

"Hello to all of you," Dumbledore announced. All four of them bowed their heads a little. He and the other judges made their way to sit at the table. May I introduce to you, the premier wand maker in England, Mr. Ollivander?"

The old man gave a smile and wave upon being introduced.

"He will be inspecting your wands to make sure that all is in working order before the tournament begins."

Harry zoned out, thinking about his wands. He lightly traced over both of them with his arms crossed. His first wand was in a holster on his right forearm, his second on his left. He only barely heard what each contestants' wands were: an inflexible 9 ¾ inch rosewood wand with a Veela hair core for Delacour, a springy 12 ¼ inch ash wand with a unicorn hair core for Cedric, and a rigid 10 ¼ inch hornbeam wand with a dragon heartstring core for Viktor. Then, it was his turn.

As Ollivander called his name, he twitched his right arm. As his wand snapped in place, his twirled it so the handle faced Ollivander.

Ollivander took it. "Ah yes, I remember this wand. 11 inches of holly, nice and supple, with a phoenix feather core. Quite an unusual combination, not the only thing unusual about this wand though, hrm?"

Harry just prayed Ollivander didn't say anything else. Luckily, Ollivander seemed to sense this, and decided not to say anything further.

"Yes, there is nothing wrong with any of their wands. They are all in working order." Before anyone could do anything else, Harry brought up a question. "Ollivander, should something happen to this wand…"

"Are you allowed a secondary wand? Yes, but to use it, I need to inspect it."

Harry internally sighed. He hadn't wanted to reveal too much. But, his competitive side came out, and he wanted to win and make sure he didn't get disqualified due to a stupid technicality. He twitched his left arm this time, letting his other wand come out.

"Ho, interesting, yes, not a wand of my creation. Looks to be a Mavers creation. Ebony, 11 ¼ inches with… interesting. With Basilisk fang and venom as its core." At mention of the core, Harry drew sharp looks from many. Dumbledore for one was now staring very intently at him, while Cedric was looking at him very curiously. "Ingenious, using the fang to prevent the venom from eating out the wood. Yes, this wand is also in working order."

Dumbledore had dismissed them, but then Bagman suddenly shouted, "Photos! Dumbledore, photos! Of the champions and the judges, please?"

Harry just stood there. Maxime tended to cast a shadow on everyone with her height, and everyone else kept trying to make themselves look better. Karkaroff, insufferable as he is, kept twirling his goatee to make it look better. Krum kept trying to sulk, but the photographer kept trying to bring either him or Delacour to the front. Cedric just kind of nervously stood there, not used to this kind of attention. Harry just let himself be moved wherever, but Skeeter seemed to be fixated on him. In the end, after the group and individual photos, they were finally able to leave.

Harry decided to catch up again with Cedric.

"So Cedric, any luck with Chang?

"No, not yet. I've decided to wait until after the First Task. If you live, I'll ask pretty quickly. It not, then I'll wait a bit."

Harry put on a hurt expression. "Cedric, you have so little faith in me. I thought a little bit about what Krum told me. And I intend to win."

Cedric looked taken aback. "Really now? Well, best of luck to you."

Harry nodded, and they went their separate ways. Before it was too late, Harry called out.

"Cedric!"

The Hufflepuff turned around, a curious expression on his face.

"I never thanked you for telling people you believed me, and for the badges. I already knew due to Susan and Hannah, but, well, thanks."

Cedric just stood there for a moment, before smiling. Then they went their separate ways.

When Harry arrived at the Great Hall, Harry was almost attacked with questions from Ravenclaw table. Susan and Hannah had apparently already decided to sit down there, and he sat down next to them. Hannah popped the first question.

"So, how was it? What was it?"

Harry shrugged.

"Dumbledore just brought in Ollivander to make sure that everyone's wands were in working order. It was probably a measure against tampering, either positive or negative, when the schools were much more competitive."

Susan nodded. "My auntie told me a little bit about the tournament. Apparently, the tasks aren't the only event. And in history, there even used to be a dueling event occasionally!"

"Well, I don't think there will be one now, what with Dumbledore and all."

Susan and Hannah nodded in agreement. "Auntie said that she was having a talk with Dumbledore, but there is nothing he can do. She's continuing to look into it, but…"

"It's ok Susan. I'll compete. Krum and I talked." Hannah interjected here.

"What, you talked to Krum!?"

Harry shot her an annoyed look as suddenly, there was a lot of interest again at their part of the table. Davies, of course, being the loudest.

"Potter! You talked to Krum!? What was he like!? Can you get an autograph!?"

Harry just ignored him. "Anyway, he said something to me that I've thought about. I've decided I'm going to compete, and even try to win."

Susan looked a little nervous. "Are you going to, you know…?" Hannah nodded, looking at Harry expectantly.

"Not if I don't have to, like life or death."

Susan nodded, satisfied. "You know, if anyone finds out, it won't matter that you're not the Boy-Who-Lived. You're never going to get a quiet moment. And heaven knows what either You-Know-Who or Dumbledore will do with the knowledge."

"I know."

The next week passed by. Harry had been excused from exams, and most of what they were doing was topics he had already studied during the summer. He spent most of his time thinking for new idea and research, and then going to the Room of Requirement when dueling session wasn't there. He went to those as well, but he didn't think dueling would come in handy.

He mainly focused on spell repertoire. Because the first task was supposed to test courage, he learned the Conjunctivitis curse. He also made sure Sonare, the shrieking spell was ready. He had to wear ear muffs for that.

A week before the task, he had been approached by the Weasley twins. They were… free minds as it were. As such, they didn't follow Ron's example, following Thomas like a lost little puppy. When Harry mentioned who the Marauders were, they had been happy to give him the map.

"Hey, Gred, Forge."

They just smiled at that.

"Well, seeing as you're our friend," Fred started.

"And not quite as annoying as your brother," George interjected.

"We thought we could help you out."

Normally, the twins didn't approach him like this, out of the blue. They were on good terms, but not so much as to randomly strike up conversation.

"And what is it that you have to tell me?

"Well, we heard that our brother Charlie's at Hogwarts."

"You might want to look around."

This caused a raised eyebrow from Harry. He was well aware of what the second eldest Weasley child did for a living. "Anything you want me to do in return?" Harry asked.

"Yea," Fred said, while George handed Harry some bags. "Leave some of these around in places and ways where some people will eat them and tell us the results. Or make sure we can see them."

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Will any effects wear off?"

"They should. If they don't, then you're at liberty to stop leaving them around."

"Fair enough. By the way, you mentioned Thomas?"

George just shrugged. "You know how he is. The same as always. Talking about you and semi-ranting."

Harry walked away, keeping the twins advice in mind. They had their own plans for life, which also conveniently distanced them from one Molly Weasley and therefore, Dumbledore. Harry quite liked the twins. They had a good sense of humor. And their pranks never permanently harmed people. Unless they deserved it.

Harry went back to his room and checked the map. He barely found Charlie in time, walking back towards the Forbidden Forest.

When darkness finally fell, Harry snuck out of the castle. Honestly, they needed to make it a little harder. But, having the map helped. He made sure to cast a Disillusionment charm on himself. It wasn't perfect, but it was good enough. When he got to the forest, he thought he heard a noise, and started making his way over. Halfway there, he saw Hagrid and Madame Maxime walking in the same direction. He really wish he had Thomas's Invisibility cloak, but it would be too noticeable if it disappeared.

As he started to follow them, being careful with his footsteps in the darkness, the noise that he had heard started to get louder and louder until it was finally a roar. Hagrid and Madame Maxime had stopped, and when Harry was finally able to get a look at what it was, his heart dropped.

There were four dragons. One for each of the champions. Out of them, one of them was being especially difficult. It was all black with horns protruding out. He would have to consult a book to determine what breed it was. Magical creatures were not his strong suit. He saw Charlie Weasley go up to Hagrid, a delighted yet haggard look about him. No doubt because of the dragons. He seemed to have a pretty one-sided conversation with him, and pointed to Maxime.

He started to make his way back before anyone noticed him, or the lack of him in his Common Room, when he saw Karkaroff. He glared at the man, even though he couldn't see Harry. Karkaroff was on his towards the dragons. Someone must have tipped him off as to their location. He had no doubt that Karkaroff would tell Viktor, just as Maxime would tell Fleur.

While Harry wanted to win, he also didn't want anyone to lose their life. And being unprepared for a dragon is a surefire way to do that.

When Harry found Cedric the next day, he was predictably surrounded by quite a number of older Hufflepuffs. He also saw Cho Chang there, and they were all laughing about something. It was nice to see only a couple were wearing the badges that Draco had made. When he approached, some of them jeered, but most were friendly. Cedric just sat up and looked at him.

"What's up Harry?"

"Could I have a word, Cedric? Away from your friends?"

There was some outcry at this, but Cedric raised his hands to placate them.

"It's okay, I'm not going to bite," Harry muttered, rolling his eyes at the group.

Cedric just smiled and let himself be led away. Once they were away, Cedric dropped the smile.

"Ok, what is this about? You wouldn't just come up to me in the middle of the day asking to talk."

"I wanted to give you a warning. I got tipped off, and I imagine that the other two champions were tipped off last night by the heads of their schools. I don't think Sprout would cheat so here I am."

"Are you saying you know what the first task is?"

"What I'm saying is that being prepared for a dragon wouldn't hurt your chances at living."

The color had left Cedric's face.

"You're serious?"

Harry just nodded.

"Unless they're here for some other reason. But I saw Maxime and Karkaroff looking at them last night. I'll give you the same advice you gave me. Try not to get yourself killed."

Cedric solemnly nodded, before turning away to go back to his friends.

Harry was nervous. Well, it's not like he entered himself, so it's not his fault he was in this mess. But to face off a dragon. Susan and Hannah were horrified when they learned what he had to face. He had spent the last week trying to think of a way to combat it.

Earlier that week, he had been confronted by Thomas and Ron. Thomas just stopped him in the corridor in front of the Great Hall.

"Is there something you need Thomas?"

"Why is it you?"

Harry just cocked an eyebrow.

"Why are you the champion?"

"Well, technically, it's Cedric who's champion for Hogwarts."

"That doesn't matter!"

At this point, he had drawn a bit of a crowd.

"And why doesn't it matter Thomas?"

"Cause I'm the Boy-Who-Lived!"

Harry just sighed. He had thought Thomas had been knocked down a peg over the last few year. _'I guess I was wrong. Or, Ron pulled him back up those pegs.'_

"And why should I care about that?"

"Why should you get to do something that I don't? You're just my brother."

"What does it matter that you're the boy who lived? That doesn't matter, you're just another student right now. And I didn't even ask for this. Even you should have heard that by now."

By this point, something of a small crowd had gathered.

"I don't, and neither do a lot of people, care that you're the "Boy-Who-Lived"," he remarked, rolling his eyes at the title and air quoting. "You may or may not have defeated Voldemort when we were young, but right now, you're just another student. You're somewhat talented, I'll give you that, but you're an arrogant toe rag, just like James."

Thomas himself had flinched at the name, but got over that. "What do you mean I may or may not have? I'm the Boy-Who-Lived, of course I defeated You-Know-Who!"

Harry just tiredly glared back. "You mean to tell me that a boy with no extraordinary magical prowess defeated a fully grown wizard? It's more likely that something that Lily did affected him and you."

At this point, Weasley had stepped in. "Why do you keep calling them Lily and James?"

"Because calling them Mom and Dad would be wrong."

Harry had turned away at that point.

After pouring over some books, Harry found out that the fearsome black dragon was the Hungarian Horntail, one of the most ferocious dragon breeds, if not the most ferocious. He tried thinking of anything he could do to combat a dragon. If he had an army, stunners would work. But dragon is so resistant to everything that in a one versus one situation, he wouldn't be able to directly attack the dragon. His best bet would be transfiguration, or aiming for the eyes.

As he looked up, he saw the other three champions. While all three were pacing and seemed nervous, they also seemed to have a plan. The best that Harry could come up with was "Maybe use transfiguration, and don't die." Not the best plan, but a plan. Ok, maybe more like 12% of a plan.

Harry continued to think, so much so that he didn't notice Fleur giving him a look. She was specifically focused on the scar, giving it a funny look.

Bagman came in with a flourish, followed by the other judges. Unfortunately for him, when he entered, he tripped over his feet, making a fool of himself. He soon gathered himself and addressed the champions.

"Oh, good, all of you are here! Well, now that's settled, it's time to explain the first task to you. Now, as you will probably remember, you were told that today, you would all go through a task meant to test not only your daring, but your ability to think through the unknown, armed What you will be facing off against today are… dragons!"

If Bagman had been expecting any surprise, he was disappointed. No one even tried to pretend that they didn't know, and just kept listening.

Bagman cleared his throat. "Ahem, well, like I was saying, we have four dragons, one for each champion. Crouch, if you will?"

Crouch came forward with a purple silk bag. "Inside this bag is a miniature model of the dragons that we have. Each of you will grab one, and that is what you will have to face. The model will also have a number accompanying it, indicating the order in which you will face off with your opponent."

Bagman cut in again. "Well, ladies first," he said, gesturing towards the French delegation.

Delacour faced the bag with a resigned determination, and reached in. When she pulled her hand out she pulled out a small Welsh Green with a 2 around its neck. Viktor in turn pulled out the Chinese Fireball with a three, and Cedric pulled out the Swedish Short Snout, with a number one.

Harry resigned himself to his fate, reaching in and pulling out the dragon he had been dreading, the Hungarian Horntail.

"Excellent! Now, the other judges and I have to go take our places, but each time you hear whistle, that means it's time for the next champion to emerge, starting with Mr. Diggory.

As soon as the judges left, the champions went back to their pacing. Cedric seemed the most nervous, probably because he was going first. Harry approached him before he lost the chance.

"All right there Cedric?"

"Not really. Knowing that we're going to be facing dragons, well, what was the Ministry thinking?"

"Who the hell knows? But hey, you have better look than me."

"Oh?"

"Yea, this," he said, pointing to his dragon "is a right piece of work. One of the most dangerous breeds."

Cedric winced. "That does make me feel a little bit better."

"Well, you can go complain to your dad later, he works in the ministry."

"So does yours."

Harry's face darkened. "Oh, right, I heard about what you said."

At this Harry chuckled. "I reckon half the school heard it, and then the other half heard it within the hour."

"Look, Har-"

Whatever else he was about to say was cut off by the whistle.

"Good luck Cedric."

Cedric looked grim as he walked out, and the massive cheers from the crowd told Harry that Cedric had made it to the enclosure, and the dragon.

The gasps, cheers, and roars (from the crowd and dragons) didn't help Harry's state of mind as soon, Delacour and Viktor left the champion's tent. Soon, the whistle blew, meaning that it was his turn.

He stepped through the tent and into the enclosure, where he was met with hundreds of faces. He took a deep breath and took in the enclosure. There was stands that were magicked around them, but other than that, it was quite empty. It seemed that they were protected by some sort of spell. The black dragon was quite frightening, thrashing her spiked tail, leaving great big gashes in the ground.

Harry pulled out his Holly wand and went to work, transfiguring the ground into some rocks that he could use as cover. He then started testing what he could do against the Horntail.

He sent some stunners, and Impedimenta, a banishing charm and even a Confringo. The most effective was the Confringo. And even that was hardly capable of slowing down his massive opponent.

The Horntail shot a jet of flames towards him, and he ducked behind one of the boulders that he had transfigured. Harry steeled himself, and brought out his second wand. Once the heat had subsided, he dove out, shooting a Percutio at the dragon. The piercing curse hit dead on, blasting a small hole in the dragon's leg. _'Almost any other creature and that would have gone clean through the legs, bloody dragon-hide.'_

All Harry had really managed to do was to royally piss off the Horntail. It started to claw its way over to him, slowly, in order to protect its eggs, but surely. Harry turned back, trying to think of something while hiding from the dragon's fire.

' _I could disillusion myself. But, if I did that, the dragon's sense of smell might give me away. But, maybe all of the other scents will throw it off.'_

Harry was so engrossed that he almost didn't catch the movement in the corner of his eye. It was only by reflex that he dove and cast an Impendimenta. Such a weak spell did hardly anything with the dragonhide protecting the beast, but it slowed it for the fraction of a second that he needed to keep his head.

"Bloody hell!" he shouted, unintentionally quoting the Weasley brat.

He started shooting spells at it, but all he was doing was annoying it. The tail came for him again and he dove.

He was out in the open then when the dragon opened its mouth to fry him. By instinct, Harry shot a mild cutting curse at it, and the exposed flesh was torn open.

The dragon roared in agony, thrashing around, but had made enough distance so as to not damage the eggs. Eventually, the dragon started to calm down, but it focused its eyes on him. They were will with a cold, calculating hatred. This time, when it blew fire at him, it barely opened it mouth.

Harry could feel the heat before it even got halfway to him. He dove, but the Horntail seemed to know what he intended. Its tail shot out at him, earning him a small gash to his leg.

Harry cursed his carelessness. "Bombarda!" he yelled with his left before the dragon could do anything else, casting a Protego with his right, shielding himself with dust from the dragon's vision. He got to his feet, disillusioning himself in the process but keeping an eyes on the Horntail.

Once he disappeared, the Horntail started to look around. Eventually, as Harry moved around, the dragon seemed to lock on in his general direction.

' _So, even a dragon's nose can't follow me exactly with this many people shouting and obscuring my scent.'_

He kept moving around, focusing while he did. Eventually, he cancelled the disillusion, and transfigured the ground into iron chains, the links of which were as thick as he was and then some.

The dragon drew its attention to the chains as they started moving, the links clinking against each other. It tried to escape, and blew fire at them, but Harry kept him at bay, casting an Aguamenti with his ebony wand, both to quench the fire, and also to set up his next move.

"Glacius." What water hadn't been vaporized from the fire started to freeze around the dragon. not enough to freeze it completely, but enough to slow it down and impede it enough to allow the chains to do their work. While he controlled the chains with his right, he transfigured more chains with his left and added them to his control, tying the Horntail's mouth shut and keeping it down.

Once it was sufficiently subdued, he walked over to the eggs, and picked up the golden one. The crowd cheered in triumph. Susan and Hannah were especially ecstatic. Neville gave him a thumbs up and Daphne nodded. The other two schools were politely clapping, and about a third of Hogwarts didn't know whether to clap for him or not. Once the dragon handlers came, he slowly dispelled the chains that held it down.

Harry just reveled in the success. It didn't matter whether some of them didn't really care for him. He was always respected by those in Ravenclaw and a few throughout. He was loved by his friends, and t appreciated by his acquaintances. But he had never felt like this.

' _Is this what Thomas feels like all the time? Always being the center of attention, adoration? It's a little much, but I could definitely get used to this.'_

Harry was brought out of his musings by some shrieks ad roars. Harry whirled around, looking back at the dragon. It had gotten out of control, possibly by luring the handlers into a false sense of security.

Instead of going for the threats, it decided to go for those who were helpless, slamming itself in the magical barrier. Harry started sprinting back, hurling spells at it all the way, but at this distance, nothing seemed to be doing anything to the magically resistant hide. Dumbledore and the other judges and tecahers were also hurling stunners, and it almost seemed like they might take it down when they went down.

Within two slams, the barrier broke. Apparently, it was a temporary runic barrier that was being directly powered by some of the teachers, because there was backlash. It threw many of the teachers off balance, going so far as to knock some of them unconscious. The students who were now exposed starting screaming, and started panicking in their rush to get to the exits. No matter what though, most wouldn't be fast enough to escape the dragon's wrath.

The dragon seemed to have pinpointed on an area. The area where Susan, Hannah, and the others were sitting. Harry started hurling everything he had, many of which bordered or crossed the Ministry definition of "dark".

"Ossis Effergo! Confringo! Sanguis Fervo!" Susan and the others were blocked off by the crowds, and were also hurling spells at it. Nothing seemed to be having an effect. Finally, the dragon reared up and got ready to incinerate them.

Harry was too far. "NO!"

It was as time itself had frozen. It wasn't for nothing either. It was the first time Harry had been able to channel without focusing.

As the dragon started to unleash its breath, an icy blue mass started to grow in front of Susan and the others. It grew meteorically, covering Harry's friends before the fire was even a third of the way there. The shield started to curl back on itself while growing thicker.

Eventually, the blast of fire hit the shield, dead center, and it held strong. The fire spread out, before being returned to it sender. The dragon, startled both by the returning fire and the shield, stopped its assault.

Harry turned his attention to the dragon, his now icy blue eyes boring into the dragon's.

"You, won't ever hurt them." It was a reversal of roles, and now even the dragon looked cowed.

He raised his hands, molding the ice to his will. The shield spilt into pieces, striking themselves against the dragon. One piece pierced the tail, and from there, ice started to spread, never stopping until the dragon was almost fully encased, with only its nose and eyes uncovered.

Harry finally stepped back, before he noticed the whole arena focused on him. He looked for Susan and Hannah, who seemed sad and apologetic. Daphne was as cold and calculating as ever. Neville gave him a timid thumbs up, which he had to smile at.

Then he saw her. The Delacour girl. She looked at him with a mixture of fear, gratitude, and determination. He turned away from her, scowling all the way.

He tucked his wands back in his holsters, and walked back to the stands, away from the chaos he was leaving in his wake.


	8. Chapter 8: The Aftermath

**A/N: So sorry about the long wait. I was never really happy with this chapter, and so started working the next, and then work caught up. Basically just a bunch of shit. On the bright side, double chapter? If anyone is still following this, thanks.**

 **November 25, 1994**

Harry went to bed straight after the First Task. When he woke up, he wished it was all a dream. This was a freaking nightmare. This was worse than being chosen as a champion. Last night had been terrible. He had his whole house basically banging on his bed. He had to cast a silencing charms on his bed and sticking charms to the curtains in order to discourage people from getting in. Unfortunately, Susan and Hannah were in Hufflepuff. He would have even taken Daphne or Neville to keep him company, but he was left alone to face the Claws.

He came out of his bed… to see all of him roommates staring at him. He scowled, and got dressed ad made his way to the Great Hall for breakfast.

Honestly, he should have gone to the kitchens, but wanted company.

He almost immediately regretted his decision when he saw that every single face, even the international delegations', was staring at the entrance, seemingly waiting for him. As soon as he walked in, whispers broke out, and he could hear some of them as he walked towards Susan and Hannah.

"His hair is back to normal."

"What about Thomas? Does he…"

"Does his family even know?"

"OF course he knew. He used it."

"Not seen…"

Finally, he sat down by Hannah, Susan on Hannah's other side.

"How are you holding up?" Hannah asked.

"I didn't even do anything. Just went to bed."

"Everyone's been talking about it. And, well, you're not going to like this," Susan put in, giving Harry this morning's Daily Prophet.

There, right on the front page, was a moving picture of him, his hair white and controlling the ice. Even through the small photo of the paper, one could tell that the eyes were different. The headline didn't make it any better: "Brother of the Boy-Who-Lived, an Elemental?"

The one upside of all of this is that his powers seemed easier to control. Perhaps a metaphorical block was lifted with the panic usage of his powers. He didn't even have to channel in order to turn the paper into a frozen slab. He threw it aside, knocking over a few plates and bowls and garnering a few glares. He glared right back, cowing them with his stare.

"They couldn't even deign to use my name. Great. So it's safe to say that everyone in Hogwarts knows?"

Hannah looked sympathetic. "Harry, I think it's safe to say that all of Magical Britain, and then some," she said while pointing to the international delegations, "knows."

"Auntie is doing her best to keep people away from you and trying to get some peace, but there is only so much that she can do that is within her jurisdiction. It's especially hard since we kept her in the dark. Not that I blame you!" Susan hastily added. "I know you only barely trusted us enough."

"Yea, tell your aunt thanks. Any respite I can get is a relief," he said, smiling at Susan.

Hannah put an arm on his shoulder. "You know, if you ever need help. I mean, you saved us from the dragon, but you know that even in any other case…"

Harry just smiled at his friend. "Thanks Hannah. That means a lot. For now though, I have to take a walk. At least now, I might be able to just be public with this."

Harry walked out. He didn't make it five steps out of the Entrance Hall before a voice called out to him.

"Potter."

"Back to Potter now, Daphne?"

A glare crossed her face. He blue eyes just seemed to bore into his, her black hair framing her face in a way that made you want to run. "Well, it seems that I have to go back to that, seeing as you neglected to tell me about you being an elemental and all."

"Daphne, you more than anyone knows the value of information."

"Yet I notice that Bones and Abbot were privy to your counsel. I have known you for twice as long as they have."

"I acknowledge that. That is why I chose to back you in Slytherin's little civil war. But, if you think I'm going to trust Slytherin's Ice Queen, someone who regularly pushes people away, you have another thing coming. Susan and Hannah, while a bit thick when they were younger, have earned my trust. They have always been at my side. Friends. We have been… allies at best."

Daphne just crossed her arms and nodded. "Fine, I suppose that's fair. At least you're thinking. Not really surprising coming from the Ravenclaw. I suppose I have never exactly been forthcoming with my secrets either. And given the current reactions, I can understand why you didn't want the information getting out. From what my father told me in his quick letter, people in the DoM are already calling for you to be researched, possibility for a way to replicate the effect in future children. After all, it's been centuries since an elemental has been spotted."

"Yea, since the time of the Founders, or so I've heard."

Daphne just shrugged. "The important, if not unfortunate, part is that you will be sought after. I bet you the old coot is trying to figure out how to use you as well."

He scoffed. "Yea, probably from day one before he even figured out I had powers. Don't worry, I'm watching my back."

"Good, because this new development really helps me as you're still backing me. No one wants to mess with an elemental."

Harry just snorted in response. "Of course you would think that way."

Daphne just gave him a look of false innocence. "I have no idea what you mean by that."

"Just bugger off now, will you? I need some time to think."

Daphne stopped short. "Harry."

Harry turned back to acknowledge the change in tone.

"This is useful for me, I'll be upfront. But, even my icy exterior has limits. And like I said, we have known each other since we were children."

The unspoken offer passed between them, and Harry nodded in acknowledgment. "Thanks Daphne, I'll keep that in mind."

Daphne just nodded.

"You know, suddenly, all those little incidents make so much more sense. I had always just thought it was some accidental magic responding to your emotions. But now, Neville and I have a clear idea." At Harry's raised eyebrow, she shrugged. "He and I talk. After all, it's not just you we're friends with. And then she turned away. Harry walked away, back towards his area by the lake. However, he stopped short once he saw who was waiting for him.

"What are you doing here?" Harry managed to growl out through his teeth.

Delacour got up, her platinum blonde hair spinning around her as she turned to face the person she had scorned, the person who had saved her.

"I just wanted to apologize."

"For what? For being a bitch?"

Fleur winced at the accusation, but did not deny it. "I… I will admit that it was not in the best taste to say what I said to you."

"Understatement," he grumbled under his breath.

"But, I wanted to apologize straight away. I just, never got the chance."

"What do you mean? You could have walked up to me at any point and just said, "I'm sorry.""

"Well, you weren't making it any easier either! You were always avoiding me!"

"That's because I figured you were just as shallow as the rest of them! You didn't seem all that different that night. I thought you'd understand! To be looked at for something you're not, something you don't want to be! Whenever I met someone, I was always, 'The brother to the Boy-Who-Lived'! And now, it's even worse! Everyone in Magical Britain, if not the world by now, knows who—no, what—I am! Is that why you're apologizing now? To get on my good side? Now that you know what I am? That I'm the one who was at the World Cup?!"

Before he had realized it, his hair was white, his scar was glowing, and the surface of the lake had frozen solid. As it was November, it wasn't implausible for it to have frozen over already, but it was still liquid when he came out. Fleur took a step back.

"It's true, partially, that now that I know that you are the one who saved me from that situation at the World Cup, my feelings are a little biased. I've wanted to meet you for a while, to see what kind of person would help someone in a situation like that, especially someone like me. But, it's also true that I have regretted my words since they came out, because like you said, I know what it's like to be accused of being an attention whore."

Harry looked into her eyes. His icy blue met her sapphires, and there was a defiance in them that he could relate to. But, he also saw sincerity.

Harry sighed. "I accept your apology, and I forgive you. I can understand doing things in the heat of the moment. Just don't do it again."

Fleur's face brightened. Harry cut her off before she could say anything. "But, this doesn't mean we're friends. We're just, not enemies. Just competitors."

She nodded her head. "I can accept that. So, have you done anything with the egg?"

Harry shook his head. "Even if I did, I probably wouldn't tell you. Competition, remember? But, no, especially seeing as I just found it at the foot of my bed this morning."

"You didn't take it with you?"

"I walked out, remember? I don't even know how I did in the First Task."

"Well, if you're worried about that, you placed first. The judges viewed your approach as the best as you got off without injury and relatively harmlessly tamed the dragon. The fact that you saved scores of students from being burnt probably also helped."

Harry snorted once more. "Yea, I suppose that would." He had turned around to leave when Fleur had called him back.

"Harry!"

Harry turned around with a questioning look on his face.

"I know we're not friends, but I would like to be."

Harry gave her a nod and turned again, but she wasn't done.

"I know this may be forward of me, but, why did you save me?"

"I had no reason. I saw a possible confrontation, and I saw people I hated, old death eater wannabes, surrounding and attacking an innocent girl. That's more than enough reason for me."

That was the answer she had been expecting, but for some reason, she still felt slightly disappointed.

"Last question. You mentioned my father at one point."

"Yea, James told me about him." Fleur made a mental note to ask him about why he calls him 'James' later.

"I don't think that's true. Barring your…. relationship with your father, you also seemed to be more familiar with the name that a passing remark."

Her eyes seemed to bore into his, trying to peel back the lies.

Harry just sighed. "Fine. I will admit that I have been in France and… on the bad side of the law there."

Fleur gasped. "It's not serious, is it? Or else I might have to tell papa."

"No, it's more like, I had gotten involved with some shady figures who Jean Sebastian would be more interested in. It had to do with my abilities."

Fleur waited for me, but it seemed as if Harry didn't want to or wasn't willing to share more.

"Well, thanks

"Talk to you later De- Fleur."

"Bye Harry."

Harry went back to his spot by the lake. He laid back, before deciding the test his powers. Flex so to speak. He had never been able to openly practice before. Even when he was in the forest by Potter Manor, he had to be discrete. He partially unfroze a section of the lake, bending the slush to his will. It was the most efficient way he found to manipulate ice. Making something from scratch is easy. Working with already made ice was harder. Being in the slush allowed him to easily manipulate shape at will.

He shaped it first into his snowflake, before changing it into 6 large spears. Pushing his hands, they flew, straight and true, all six impaling a tree by the edge of the forest. He then recalled them, breaking them into smaller and smaller pieces along the way, until they looked like tiny arrow, more like needles almost. There were thousands of them, and they all flew towards the same tree. The tree fell before the onslaught, but not before taking hundreds of the needles in its trunk.

The final thing he wanted to do was test the extent to his powers. It seemed like he got a small boost, and he now had more reason that ever to be able to accomplish what he was about to try. He held out his hand, and a smaller piece of ice came to him. He concentrated on everything he knew about chemistry, and how he knew sublimation and evaporation could happen and did happen. He focused on the image. Slowly, he saw steam rising, some of it directly from the ice, and some from the water that was now pooling in his hand. He stopped, breathing heavily. It was a start.

"Maybe now that I've seen it, I'll be able to replicate it more easily. I don't know about the other direction though." Harry guessed he was breathing hard because, as much as he knew about chemistry and the molecular structure of water and ice, it was still hard to conceptualize, and his magic had to compensate for what he couldn't imagine. But, it was a start.

"Well done, Mr. Potter," a slightly high pitched voice called out.

Harry turned around, knowing by the voice who it was.

"Good afternoon Professor Flitwick. What can I do for you?"

"Well, I had originally come out here to talk about something else, but now that I'm here, I am hoping to talk about your abilities."

"Perhaps after the tournament, sir. You'll have plenty of access to me as a Ravenclaw for 3 more years."

"Of course, of course," Flitwick said while chuckling. "Well, I still have something to say to you before you go. I just thought to tell you, since I wasn't sure if you were aware, as you head of house that there will be a Yule Ball."

"I fail to-"

"And the Champions shall open then ball with a dance. With a date."

Harry just cursed. It was almost as if Flitwick knew what he were going to say. "Thank you, Professor."

As he walked back to the castle, he laughed to himself. _'Harry Potter, defeater of a dragon, unable to get a date.'_ This was going to be great.


	9. Chapter 9: Meddling Headmasters

**A/N: So yea, here's the second chapter. Um, slight background information at the end, I wanted to try to mold the characters a bit. So there we go.**

It had been a week since the first task, and already, Harry was feeling the pressure mounting. Every day, he heard more and more guys asking girls to the ball. Susan and Hannah had been dropping hints to him, but even he wasn't sure if he wanted to get involved in that can of worms. How the hell was he supposed to pick one over the other?

"Harry!" Harry groaned. As much as he loved Susan and Hannah, right now…

"Yeah?"

Hannah plopped down next to him on the bench. He had been trying to enjoy his dinner, but it seems like it was going to be another stressful occasion. "So, have you gotten a date yet for the Ball?"

"No, not yet. I have no idea who I want to ask."

"Well, I don't have a date yet, so-"

"Harry, there you are!"

As much as Harry was getting exasperated with the both of them, Susan's arrival as a godsend, allowing Harry to not have to confront this right now. As Susan sat down, he could almost see the sparks flying between the two best friends.

"Harry and I were talking." Hannah said.

"So why don't you carry on?"

Harry just didn't know what to do anymore. It was frankly starting to get a little out of hand. He decided to try to subtly change the topic from him. "Did you hear that Cedric is going with Cho?" Across the table a bit, he could see Cho cough a little bit on her pumpkin juice.

"How did you hear about that Harry?"

"I may have been the one to give him some certain tidbits. In return, he kept me updated. You girls aren't the only ones who talk about the opposite sex. We just do it, much left often."

Susan leaned in. "How did it happen? A know a lot of people wanted to ask him. He _is_ quite good looking."

Cho just blushed a bit at the last comment. "We had been talking, and I guess now I know why. When the Yule Ball was announced, it just sort of happened. He came up to me with some flowers and asked me."

Hannah and Susan just seemed to kind of melt, but Harry just shrugged. It was at this time that Flitwick came up to him. Harry was saved. Or, was he? He looked like he was trying really hard not to look disappointed, but was failing. He had pursed lips and his gait, small as it was, seemed very rigid.

"Mr. Potter. The Headmaster would like to see you in his office after dinner." Hannah and Susan had started bickering again, but stopped at those words. The articles hadn't stopped, and neither had the speculation. The three of them had been waiting for this for quite a while. They looked worried, but Harry just waved them off.

"I'm finished, professor. Would you mind accompanying me?"

Flitwick seemed to smile a little bit. "Of course, Mr. Potter."

The two of them exited the Great Hall together.

"So, Mr. Potter. Can I assume that the three of you have been expecting this for some time now?"

"Yes, Professor. This confrontation was one of the reason that I had hidden my abilities for so long.

"Indeed, I might have as well. Do you know why he seems so keen as to talk to you?"

"Probably to convince me to help my brother or something."

As they reached the gargoyle that hid the Headmaster's Office, Flitwick spoke out. "Licorice Snaps."

The gargoyle started to slide away, revealing the staircase.

"After you Mr. Potter."

Harry steeled himself. He couldn't be cowed by the Headmaster, or would never get anywhere. At the same time, he couldn't reveal too much. But, he could not reveal so much.

They went up, and after steeping up to the door to the main office, heard a voice call, "Come in, Mr. Potter."

Harry obliged, opening the door. He had to admit, the office was impressive. There were trinkets everywhere. But what really interested him were all the books and the Headmasters' portraits. All of that knowledge. Harry looked back up at the Headmaster, and noted that he seemed surprised at Flitwick's appearance.

' _So, a proximity ward, perhaps on the door frame or the tiles to warn him of anyone coming. He was expecting me, but not Flitwick. Anyone else he can probably just infer."_

"Filius, thank you for escorting Harry here. That'll be all."

"Actually, Albus, _Mr. Potter_ here asked me to be here for your conversation. As his head of house and because you have yet to tell me the matter of the conversation you would like to have with Mr. Potter, I feel inclined to acquiesce to his request."

Dumbledore seemed slightly incensed at the turn of events, but quickly calmed his features and sat down.

"Very well. Feel free to take a seat, both of you, and a lemon drop if you want."

Harry sat down, but "I'll pass on the lemon drop, Headmaster. Too many sweets isn't good for the body _or the mind_."

Harry didn't know whether Dumbledore caught his emphasis on the last part, but if he did, he didn't show it. He was being a bit more brazen than normal seeing as he had Flitwick next to him.

"Very well, Harry-"

"I'll stop you there. Headmaster, you may be on a first name basis with the rest of the family, but I would request that you not address me by my given name, as I do not feel we are intimate enough for that kind of behavior."

"And is there anyone with whom you are that intimate with?"

"I believe that is private information, for me and any parties that may be involved."

"Albus, for what reason have you called Mr. Potter here?"

"Ah yes. Well, you see, I was wondering if Mr. Potter could shed any insight on the use of his powers."

"And why would you want to know this? I don't believe I have broken any rules. For what reason other than a major transgression against the rules would I have to talk to the Headmaster?"

"Well, there were some spells that you used a week ago that could be considered dark."

"Yes, used for the defense of countless of heirs or heiresses of Noble, Ancient, or both, Houses. Don't even try that to pull that, or the outcry would ruin you faster than you could blink. Headmaster, stop with the posturing, and just talk to me with what you really want to talk to me about."

"Fine. My boy, I'm essentially looking to recruit you."

Flitwick didn't look happy at the turn of the events that the conversation was taking, but on a hand wave from Harry, didn't speak up. Harry ignored the 'my boy' in favor of the more interesting topic.

"Recruit me? That is…. one of the lower probabilities of what I had expected. I expected a request to transfer my powers to Thomas, something ridiculous like that."

A cough from a Headmaster interrupted him. A very old Headmaster, possibly one of the earliest judging by the state of the portrait, was coughing and giving Dumbledore a pointed look.

"Ah, so that's why it took a week to try to talk to me. You had wanted to do exactly that. All for your Greater Good? And what if I had refused? Would you have forced me?"

Dumbledore at least had the shame to lower his head. He looked unsure about what he would do if the choice were there.

"So, recruiting me? For what? For Thomas? Why?"

"Because of the war."

"The war is over Dumbledore, my brother ended it 13 years ago, along with Voldemort."

Dumbledore seemed like he didn't want to say what he was about to, but had to.

"Voldemort will return."

Harry thought back to another time, _a mere memory._

 _An elemental? It must have been you to defeat my future self, and not your brother. Join me Harry, help me, and we can make them pay. We are the same, you and I. Both ignored, both forced to live in the shadows of others. But together, no one could stop us._

"And why would you want to recruit me? You already have the rest of my family, most importantly, Thomas."

"Ah, yes. While your brother is extraordinarily gifted in other ways-" Harry just scoffed internally at this "-wars are not won by single people. And with your skill set…"

"You mean with my powers. You just want more abilities to counter Voldemort's forces. I have always done well in most practical magic courses, the same of which can't be said for my brother, and yet you only approach me now."

"I see that you are more direct that I expected. Then, yes, because of your powers. You could be the difference, the tipping point in the coming war."

"Then maybe you should tell your loyal followers to not favor their children so much, so as to know if such powers ever manifest for you again. I will promise you that I will never join Voldemort, but I won't fight for you."

"I must insist. This is most important. We ne-"

"You may want me, but you don't need me."

Dumbledore was about to say something else, but Flitwick interjected, "Albus, you have no place asking students, underage students at that, in helping in a war. You have Mr. Potter's promise despite that, so take it."

Dumbledore nodded, appeased, but visibly not as happy as he had wished. "Very well then. You may leave."

As they were leaving the office, Fawkes trilled out. Harry turned to him, stroking him as Fawkes leaned into it. And then he left.

He thanked Flitwick for his presence before heading to the lake. On the way there he saw a solution to a problem.

"Daphne!" She was just on the grass, studying. When he approached, a semblance of a smile actually graced her face.

"Harry." She replied cordially. "What brings you here today?"

"I had the talk with Dumbledore."

"Ah. And?"

"One of the past Headmasters tipped me off that he had been researching how to transfer my powers, but in lieu of that impossibility, tried to recruit me."

Daphne chuckled. "I suppose that didn't go too well, did it?"

"Nope. How are things in Slytherin?"

"Much easier, thanks to you. You hold influence, not just in fear, but in the possibilities in power. So, for the most part, I have control in Slytherin. Malfoy tried to put up a fight with some of the older years, like Flint, but having others like Pucey, thanks for that by the way, helped to neutralize that."

"That's good. Not just because I like you more than Malfoy, but also because this gives me ears."

"Your welcome."

"I believe that's my line, for backing you. But, beside the point, Daphne, will you go to the ball with me?"

Daphne just quirked an eyebrow. "And why not go with Abbot or Bones?"

"You know very well why Daphne, don't play coy with me. This gives me an out, but also gives you an opportunity to solidly show our alliance."

"Is that what this is, now, Harry?"

"We've known each other since we were children, and we both know how far the other wants to go. I feel like an alliance would make sense."

"Then, let's. And fine, I will go to the ball with you."

"Thanks Daphne."

Harry waved her off then headed back to his spot by the lake. There were people watching him now, unfortunately. Ever since the First Task, people had taken to watching him whenever he came here. Sometimes, he tried to ignore them and practice. The change was instant now. Almost before it was a conscious thought, he started channeling. But, today, he just relaxed, casting a warming charm on himself and just laying down in the sun.

When he woke up later, it was to Hannah and Susan. _'Bollocks,'_ was all Harry thought."We were worried sick, and you're just here, laying down? We knew you went to Dumbledore but instead of filling us in afterwards, you just lie down and take a nap?!"

"Sorry, sorry, it slipped my mind."

Susan looked like she wanted to say something, but she was always the more timid one, so Hannah spoke up.

"Daphne told us you asked her to the ball?"

' _Double bollocks.'_

"Yea..." he trailed off, not knowing what to say.

"Why didn't you go with one of us?"

"Because, you're my best friends, and I didn't want to have to choose between you two. She's a neutral ground, and someone who people wouldn't be surprised to see me go with."

"I guess that makes sense." Hannah said. Susan just seemed to frown a bit at the answer, but didn't say anything.

"You two still need to find dates then, right?

"Don't worry about us. We both wanted to go with you, and you're out best friend, but you don't have to babysit us. I'm sure Susan and I can find dates by ourselves, after all, we are two lovely ladies."

Susan just blushed a bit at what Hannah was saying, but then spoke up.

"What did Dumbledore want?"

Harry just looked at her while Hannah continued: "Right, that was the original reason for this visit in the first place."

"Can't you take a guess? What have I always been avoiding attention for?"

"He wanted to recruit you," Susan guessed.

"Right in one. Kind of. Some of the past headmasters didn't seem happy with him, and one let out that Dumbledore had been researching a way to get the powers transferred to Thomas."

Susan seemed to get angrier with every second. She may have been quiet, but when her temper flared…

"That manipulating, lying old goat fucker! Who does he think he is?! Harry is ten times the person Thomas is, and yet, he wanted to transfer your powers to your brother?"

Hannah looked a little amused, and tried to calm her friend down.

Harry decided to take a more direct approach, conjuring ice on Susan's head, just at the right temperature that the ice immediately started melting.

Susan yelped at feeling the sudden weight on her head, and then the subsequent cold water trickling down her back. She jumped and glared at Harry.

"Hey, I just thought that you need to cool your head." Harry shrugged. Hannah was on the floor laughing, both at the situation, but also at the terrible joke.

"Very funny Harry. Proud of that one?"

"A little bit. At least now I can openly use my powers like that C'mon, let's just lay down for a bit."

Harry recast the warming charm to make sure it held and to also extend it to the two girls. They cast grateful looks towards him as they lay down.

They just sat there by the lake, enjoying the day. Harry thought back to the first time they lay like this.

 _*Start Flashback_

 _Harry was laying there relaxing. He was getting tired of all the looks. Most people that had approached him reproached him for not being like his brother, not hanging out with him, blah, blah, blah. He just wanted to be himself, and it seems like even here they would not. But why should he expected any better._

 _He absentmindedly fingered an ice shard he had made. It wasn't large enough to be easily noticed. Soon, though, he felt and heard footsteps coming towards him. He saw two girls heading towards him. As they got closer, he noticed they were two particular girls._

" _Abbot, Bones, to what do I owe the pleasure?" He still remembered the incident on the train._

 _Hannah looked unsure, strange as from what he had noticed, she was usually the more headstrong of the two. Eventually, it was actually Susan that spoke up._

" _We… wanted to apologize."_

" _For what? Nothing has happened between us recently."_

" _Yes, that's true. But we wanted to apologize for the time on the train."_

 _Harry could honestly say he was surprised. Daphne and Neville being who they were just always stuck with him, not always as friends, but always for their own reasons. Abbot and Bones, on the other hand, had actually been the first ones to ever truly apologize. Oh sure, others always off handedly said "sorry for bothering you" when looking for his brother. And no one at school had apologized yet, and it had been a month now._

" _Oh, and what brought this on?"_

" _We realized that it was rude to be looking for someone that we didn't even know and to just ask questions without introducing ourselves," Hannah said._

" _Plus, it helped that we actually met your brother," Susan said, a little bit of bitterness in her voice._

" _Yea, Merlin, he thinks he's Merlin's gift to wizardkind! He's so fucking stuck up, and he doesn't even seem to do that well in class, despite his claims that he is being tutored by the Headmaster!"_

" _And so you'd rather hang out with me? Why do you even have to hang out with one of us?"_

" _It's not that we want to hang out with you. But from what we've seen, you're mostly polite to people, and we just wanted to apologize for how we acted, especially since you seem to be more polite."_

" _And are you not afraid of me? After how I reacted on the train?"_

" _You only act that way when people ask you about your brother or other topics like that. But besides that, you're one of the nicest kids in our year." Susan said confidently._

" _Fine, I'll forgive you. You're the only ones who have ever apologized, so you two have that going for you."_

 _There was an awkward silence after that as the two of them just kept standing there._

" _Is there anything else you want?" Harry asked, his eyebrow raised questioningly._

" _Well, we've pretty much made our feelings known, and, like Neville are kind of pariahs in our house. So we were wondering if we could hang out with you for a little while, and maybe get to know you?" Susan half said half asked._

 _Harry studied them for a moment, and not sensing any deception, decided to let them stay._

 _*end flashback_

Harry just lay in the sun, his warming charm keeping him comfortable. As he drifted off to a nap, he wished that everyday could be like this.


	10. Chapter 10: The Yule Ball

**A/N: Sorry guys. I know some people have been waiting. I've just been busy. Summer break was… busier than I wanted (parents, sigh). And then, stress from school starting, well, you get the gist. I don't have a beta (not his fault, I am terrible with deadlines, even self imposed ones). So ye. If you see anything, PM me and I can fix it. Sorry if this turns into one of those stories that you have to reread from the beginning because you forgot what had happened.**

The time that Harry had been dreading was here. It was time for the Yule Ball. While Harry had passable skills when it came to dancing and etiquette, Daphne made sure that he would be immaculate. She took to giving him lessons in their off time.

"If we're using this to show our alliance, I am not going to look like a fool because you forgot the steps to a bloody waltz."

Sighing, he stood in the Entrance Hall, waiting for Daphne to come by.

"My, don't you look charming."

Harry turned around to see Susan and Hannah standing there, looking beautiful. Susan was wearing a red dress that complimented her hair, while Hannah decided to go for a lavender dress.

"Ladies, you look spectacular."

"And you look quite dashing yourself." Hannah said.

"So, where are your dates?"

"Right over there." Susan said, pointing behind Harry's right shoulder.

When he looked, he saw Neville and a boy from Beaubaxtons.

"I don't believe I know you." Harry said to the French boy.

"I am Philip." the boy said.

"Your English is quite good."

"Yes, most countries have a foreign language class that is English. Do you know any others?"

" _Now that you mention it, I do."_

Philip looked quite startled.

" _I wasn't aware you spoke French."_

" _It's not really something I prefer to advertise. Anyway, seems like your date is getting a bit annoyed at us."_

Indeed, Susan was giving the two of them an exasperated look.

"Neville, Philip. I hope you both intend to treat your dates well?"

"Of course," the two of them said.

Harry nodded then said, "Well, it looks like my own date has arrived."

Indeed, Daphne was coming from the direction of the dungeons, and she looked stunning.

She was wearing a deep purple dress that matched quite well with her purple eyes and complimented her black hair. Harry grinned at her.

After that, they waited. It wasn't long before Cedric, Victor, and Roger came to the Entrance Hall.

"Cedric, nice to see you."

Cedric merely grinned. "Hey there Harry. Can you guess who my date is?"

"Let me guess, starts with a C, ends with an O?"

"Right-o"

"So then I can assume Fleur is your date Davies, seeing as you're standing here with us."

Roger nodded, before his face went slack.

The person in question had showed up, and most of the male population couldn't help but stare. She was wearing a silver dress that hugged all the right places, accentuating her curves. While not nearly as tall as her headmistress, she was above average for a girl, 5'5". Her eyes seems to shimmer, and her hair reflected the candlelight with an almost ethereal glow.

Harry was caught up in her for just a moment, before turning to see a mischievous grin on his date.

"I don't like that look. I don't think it has ever boded well for me."

"It'll be fine. I'm glad you snapped out of it so quickly."

"It wasn't the allure that got me. It was just reflex."

Roger still seemed to be in a daze, and his date was in a bit of huff because of it. It was at this moment that the fourth champion's date arrived

Viktor Krum's date was not at all who he thought it would be. He expected it to be someone from the Durmstrang delegation, and maybe someone who was a little bit older. What he did not expect was to see Hermione Granger walking down the stairs, a ball gown on her.

Out of Thomas's two main friends, she was the more tolerable of the two. While slightly misplaced, she was loyal, and fairly intelligent. The annoying part was that she flaunted it, and Thomas's and Weasley's attitude towards schoolwork did not help matters, as she took it upon herself to help them.

To say the least, Harry was confused at Viktor's choice, but figured that he had a reason for it.

"Ah, Champions. Now that all of you and your dates are here, we can begin. Let's go alphabetically by school, so Miss Delacour, you first, then Mister Krum, then Mister Diggory and then Mister Potter. Now, everyone is already seated, but you four shall first walk in and be seated at the top table"

When the doors opened, the Champions started moving. The Great Hall looked completely different. The walls had been covered in sparkling silver frost, while ivy and mistletoe hung from everywhere. Gone were the long rectangular tables, replaced by round ones, probably as to encourage talking, particularly of the champions.

As they walked in, Harry couldn't help but look around a little bit. Thomas seemed to have gotten a date from a girl in Gryffindor, and Weasley as well. Both were glaring daggers, but surprisingly at different people. Thomas at himself, naturally for his position and his date, and Weasley at Krum. It was, of coure, the worst kept secret that Weasley liked Granger.

As they made their way to the table and started taking their seats, he noted that he was seated next to Krum, a champion he didn't really get to interact much with. Before he could get a word in, however, a tinkling of a glass brought everyone's attention to Dumbledore.

"Before we start the ball, I would like everyone to enjoy a nice meal. Tuck in."

By now, everyone was well-accustomed to the old man's habits and waited for the food to appear, which it didn't. It was only when Dumbledore picked his menu and said "Pork Chops", that everyone else began to catch on, excitedly discussing the menu's choices.

Fleur was grumbling a little bit about the lack of French choices, but was happy there were any at all.

"So, Krum, figured out the egg yet?"

The person in question looked to his left to see his fellow champion. Harry had chosen a steak for his dinner.

He decided to try to continue this conversation, one of the few that had been started with him that wasn't about Quidditch. "Even if I did, I wouldn't tell you. Wouldn't want you to be getting any ideas."

Harry chuckled. "True. Although, I already keep a pretty close eye on my competition. So, Krum, any chance you can tell me where I can find the elusive Durmstrang?"

At this, Granger moved closer to hear the conversation. "Call me Viktor, please. And no, I'm sorry to say I can't. Ve are all sworn to secrecy."

"Damn. I know approximately where Beaubaxtons is-" Fleur shot him a look at this, "-and based on student rolls, I can tell that it's somewhere in Eastern or Northern Europe. I would say northern based on the heavy coats you guys wore. And please, call me Harry then."

"Acute observation. I of course can neither confirm nor deny your statements."

"Harry, you know where Beaubaxtons is?"

"Somewhere in the Pyrenees Mountains. There are only so many places an elite school of magic could be without being discovered."

Fleur conceded that.

"So, Krum, I know we talked a little bit about Quidditch, but I was just wondering, and sorry if you've been asked this before, but what's your favorite part about the sport?"

Krum had started to groan at the mention of Quidditch, but seeing as it wasn't the usual question about strategy or his favorite team, he decided to answer.

"Honestly? I'm not sure. But for me, it's probably the chase. Not the sport, or winning. Just the feeling of me, and the snitch."

"Interesting. For me, I just like flying."

"I've asked before; want to go sometime?"

"Maybe when it's a little bit warmer."

"Oh come on, this is nothing."

Harry just gave Krum a pointed look.

"So, how did you get your date?"

"Vell, she is very pretty." Granger blushed at this, and Harry had to give her that. She wasn't unattractive. "She was also one of the few to not ogle me and follow me around."

"Interesting way to pick a ball date."

"Yea, vell, it may be interesting, but it got good results."

Harry shrugged.

"So, Harry, tell me how did you find your date?" Granger asked. She was interested in Greengrass, one of the few, much to her chagrin, who could outscore her.

Harry wanted to correct her on her use of his first name, but decided to be cordial seeing as he gave Viktor the right to use his first name.

"Well, I've known her since I was a child. So has Thomas you know?"

Granger was surprised at this. "He's known Slytherins?"

"Granger, do you think purebloods are sorted before they get to Hogwarts? I won't say we're just like first generation magicals, but people aren't born into little boxes."

Granger for her part seemed to be a little bit embarrassed.

"Anyway, since we've known each other for so long, and neither had a date, we decided to go together. It's as simple as that."

Honestly, it was anything but simple. They both had their own reasons, but at the same time, they both knew each other well enough that it wasn't completely for utilitarian purposes that they were here together.

"Cedric, you're reason is obvious." Cho just blushed. "Fleur, how about you?"

Fleur just shrugged. "I don't know. I'm not very popular in Beaubaxtons, so it was limited to people from Hogwarts and Durmstrang. Seeing as I sat mainly at Ravenclaw, Roger here was closest to my age. However, I really wish Hogwarts wasn't so drab sometimes. At Beaubaxtons at Christmas, we have ice sculptures that don't melt so they look like diamond, and none of that ugly armor."

Roger was just nodding along. "Too right, too right."

Harry doubted that Roger was hearing a word of what Fleur was saying. Her natural Allure seemed to be amplified by how beautiful she was looking. Roger never stood a chance. It wasn't really his fault.

In the meantime Granger was trying to teach Krum how to say her first name, without much success.

"Hermy-own."

"Her-my-oh-nee"

"Herm-own-ninny"

"Close enough I suppose."

Harry continued to chat with primarily Cedric and Cho. Daphne occasionally pitched in, but it seemed as if she was using this opportunity to gather information on the people there. After all, Fleur's father was pretty important, and Krum was famous himself, but his father was an advisor to the Bulgarian Minister.

"Hey, Greengrass, how goes the civil war?"

Harry, Daphne, and Cho froze. Trust Cedric to say something about it here. Maybe it was a mistake to let Cedric know about this. It wouldn't be natural to not say something about it, but they really didn't want to.

"It's going well. Recent events have helped to solidify my position." Cho elbowed Cedric lightly to try to get him off this conversation, and he seemed to catch on, but it was too late.

"A civil war? What do you mean?" The slightly shrill voice caused the Daphne, Cho, and Harry to groan slightly. This was why it wasn't discussed in the open usually. Harry shot Cedric a light glare, who mouthed a "sorry" to him.

"It's really none of your business Granger."

"What are you talking about? You're talking about a war, how is that not everybody's business?"

"It's not an actual _war_ Granger." Harry knew how she worked. Greengrass may not. All he had to do was give her a little bit of information and pretend that it was everything. "It's being called that, but it's just a slight disagreement in Slytherin House. Nothing to worry about."

Granger frowned a bit, but nodded. _'She's not going to let this go. I'll have to give people a heads up about it.'_ In the meantime, at least they weren't talking about it.

The war in Slytherin was actually going very well. Malfoy, for all of his posturing, had little to back him up except his father's name and money and the loyalty of his followers, which he only had because of the former. Daphne had both of those, but she also had wit and nobody really wanted to cross wands with her. Someone tried to see if they could thaw the infamous Ice Queen; the result was that half of Slytherin house wasn't sure at the moment whether he would be able to have kids. Frozen bits tend to do that.

Harry's emergence as an elemental and alliance with Greengrass boded well. It translated into better treatment of houses, something which was well noticed. Of course, there were still some scuffles, and of course house rivalries, but nothing like before.

Soon, Dumbledore cast a Sonorus and tinkled his glass. Everyone quickly looked towards him.

"If we could now have the champions and their dates please approach the dance floor." With another wave of his wand, students and tables were sliding away to make some space as a platform rose, along with a set of instruments. The Weird Sisters started to take the stage, to much applause.

Harry and the other champions started to take the floor. Before too long they were ready.

As the music started, Daphne and Harry settled into a waltz. Daphne took this moment to engage a little bit conversation. "So, looks like the last one of us three has finally grown up. She nodded her head towards Neville, who was leading Hannah to the dance floor.

"It would seem so. He hasn't really needed to, and still doesn't. If we weren't his friends, I imagine it would have been another year or two."

"True." While the three of them had never really been close, they were the closest they had for friends for a long time, and grew up together.

"So, Harry, what about his date?"

"What about Hannah? You know she's one of my best friends."

"That's not what I mean, and you know it. While you may avoided a situation by taking me to the ball, but you know that isn't the end of this."

Harry sighed. "I know. But, I can't imagine myself dating either of them." Never mind having to choose between the two of them, but, they had been through so much with him, he already knew them so well. The three of them had confided so much in each other, that it would be weird to start a relationship with them. They were best friends, but Harry could never see them as anything but that.

The type of music changed, and more people were starting to join them on the dance floor, but the two kept dancing for now.

"So how are things with the French girl?"

"They're fine. We haven't really talked since the end of the First Task. We've made up, but we weren't exactly best friends from the get go."

Daphne gave a look, and Harry had no idea what it was.

"What?"

"Nothing. Just, in the beginning, you had seemed to get along quite swimmingly before the whole Goblet thing."

"And how would you know that? We had barely even talked."

Daphne shrugged. "Some people saw you talking. I mean this relative to both of you. She has pushed away most others, and you tend to be a loner yourself except for Bones and Abbott."

"Well, we'll see. I doubt anything huge will come out of it. Although, this summer does complicate things."

"Oh, can I assume that this has to do with the World Cup? Susan told me that Fleur's father told Madame Bones that someone saved Fleur. And Susan and Hannah told me about your…. absence for a little while."

"Yea, if you haven't figured it out yet, I was the one that saved her. Against that many people, I had to use my elemental powers, but I didn't expect her to be here. Nor to connect with her at all."

"Yea, well, I didn't expect for one of my closer friends to be an elemental after knowing him for 7 years." Daphne gave him a pointed look.

"Fine, you got me there. I'll see what happens with her."

"Come on, Harry. Let's go get some punch."

They stood around the table, noticing that Thomas, Ron, and their dates did not seem to having a good time. The four of them were soon joined by a flushed Granger, where they soon got into an animated discussion. Viktor soon joined them at the punch table.

"Hey, Viktor."

"Harry."

"Enjoying yourself I see."

"Yes, Herm-own-ninny is quite pleasant to be around. She really seems interested in learning about everything. I imagine that the tournament provided a great opportunity for her."

"Yea, Hogwarts doesn't really teach about the rest of Europe, unfortunately."

"So I've noticed. Most of the students that go here didn't even seem to know that there _were_ other schools."

Harry mere shrugged. "In my opinion, if they care enough, they would go out and find out. I must say, have you seen the magical center of Paris? It's absolutely astonishing sometimes."

Krum smiled. "Yes, there is something to be said about the beauty of Paris, even the magical side of it. I have been there a couple of time due to games."

Harry noticed that Granger was running away from her friends. While he didn't care for her, he wanted a connection to Krum, so brought it to his attention.

"Hey, Viktor. You should go check on your date," he told him, pointing towards the retreating back of his date.

Krum frowned, but nodded his thanks to Harry and followed after her.

Unfortunately, Thomas ended up looking for where Viktor came from and, finding him, started walking towards us, scowling the whole way.

"What are you looking at Harry?"

"Nothing. I just noticed that Viktor's date left and pointed it out towards him."

"My friends are none of your business."

"I don't presume as such."

Their argument was drawing quite a bit of attention.

"Thomas, what do you want?"

"I want—why don't you just go back to what you've always done? Just stay in the back. I'm the Boy-Who-Lived. I'm the hero. I'm the pro-"

If Harry had a galleon for every time he saved Thomas, he would have, like 5 galleons give for take. Before Thomas could finish what he was saying, Harry quickly silenced it. It was times like this he was thankful he always had his wand on him in his holster.

Harry pulled him aside and hissed. "Are you a fucking idiot? What the bloody hell do you think you're shouting in the middle of the Great Hall? The only reason I didn't leave you to hang is because the fallout would affect me too."

Thomas's hazel brown eyes met Harry's blue ones. That's how he knew Harry was pissed. Thomas gulped as he thought what he was about to say.

"Listen Thomas. I thought that after I saved you the past two years, you would have realized that I care jack shit about who you are. I have my own life and my own way of doing those. I don't care about you, James, or Lily. Got it?"

Harry walked away without waiting for an answer. It took him a little while before he was calm enough to socialize with people again.

Harry and Daphne continued to sit around the punch table and were about to go back when Susan, Hannah, Neville, and Philip walked over.

"Hey guys." Harry greeted.

They all looked to be having a good time.

"You guys want to play a round of musical dates?" Neville asked. He seemed to be a little bit nervous about his date.

Harry and Philip shrugged. "Sure."

Harry partnered off with Susan first, Daphne with Neville, and Philip with Hannah.

Susan really did look stunning in her dress.

"You look beautiful."

"Haha, don't let Daphne hear you say that."

"Daphne and I know where we stand."

"And where do we stand Harry?"

They continued to dance a little bit. Harry took noticed of how her hair seemed to shine even brighter than usual, how it swayed back and forth.

"You know where we stand Susan."

Susan sighed, a slight tear forming in her eye, but she quickly wiped it away.

"Yea…"

"I saw the look when you asked me about going to the ball with Daphne. You always were a bit more perceptive and a bit less talkative than Hannah. You knew it was more than that."

"I just. I always hoped. I mean, of course, Hannah and I always dreamed about your brother. And then of course, those dreams were pretty quickly shattered. But then we thought back to that moment on the train, and realized why you disliked him, so we came to apologize. And I knew in my heart that all you were looking for at that time were friends, but we both came to like you more than that. But honestly, I always knew."

"I know. I ignored it when it started, but with all of this…."

Susan and Harry continued to dance for a little bit. Then, the song ended, and so did their dance.

"Susan, I may be the last person you want to talk to right now, but if you want."

Susan nodded. "If things change…"

"I'll let you know."

The two of them separated and went off to their next dance partners, which unfortunately at this moment, had to be Hannah.

"I quite like the color of your dress. I don't often see you in clothes like this."

Hannah blushed a little bit. "Thanks Harry."

The two of them just danced for a little bit with the music playing. There seemed to be a little bit of tension.

"What were you talking about with Susan?"

Harry was totally off guard. That always tended to happen with Susan and Hannah.

"Um, you know, just this and that. She asked me a little bit about the Second Task." She didn't.

"Come on Harry, tell me the truth. You've always been forthcoming with me, a little bit too much if I'm honest. Remember the train?"

"Haha, yea, in fact, Susan was just talking about it."

"She was, huh?"

Harry wanted to quickly change the subject. "How has Neville been?"

"Quite the gentlemen. I always thought he would be so shy. I guess knowing you really helped with that, because I totally did not expect him to just up and ask me during breakfast."

"Yea, well, he's in the house of the brave for a reason. It may have just taken a little bit for that to show."

"Enough about the houses. Harry, can we be honest here?"

"…Sure."

"Tell me, what did you and Susan really talk about?"

"…She wanted to know about me and her."

"And…?"

"I told her that she knows where we stand. She knows that that not how I feel about her…. about you as well.""

If Hannah was surprised about what he just said, she didn't show it. She just gave him a rueful little smile.

"I always suspected. I don't know. Susan and I talked about our feelings about you. I mean, that was complicated enough, two best friends liking the same person. But, I'm pretty sure we always knew somewhere…."

"I'm sorry Hannah."

"It's ok. I mean, it's not like this was out of the blue. Just, you're going to have me some time."

"Of course."

Luckily, or unluckily, the song ended there, and everyone went back to their dates. Daphne raised an eyebrow at him.

"What was that?"

"Me getting through a storm."

"Ah," she replied, as if that explained everything, which it may have.

"So, let's go back to the floor?"

Daphne shrugged. "Sure, whatever."

Harry just gave her a look.

"I'm kidding, come on," she said, leading him to the dance floor.

When the night was finally starting to wind down, Harry escorted Daphne back to her common room.

"Thanks for the great night Harry." Daphne said.

"Of course. I mean, we both needed each other, right?"

"Yea. And, to be honest, you're not terrible to be around."

"Anyway, I've gotta go."

"Sure, see ya Harry."

Harry started to go back to Ravenclaw tower, but seeing as curfew was extended for a lot longer than usual, he decided to go outside.

As he lay down by the lake, he thought of how things had changed this year. He formed an ice shard lazily rotating it this way and that. So many things were changing, and too quickly for his liking. Lines were changing among friends and enemies, new lines drawn, and he'd been outed. Honestly, there had only been the two people who ever knew about his powers. So, why was he chosen as champion? There should have been no reason for it.

He was brought out of his thoughts by the sound of arguing. He started to walk and look around for the source. It wasn't too long before he found the source. Fleur and Davies were arguing in front of the Beaubaxtons carriage. It took Harry getting a little bit closer until he realized what the problem was. Davies was intoxicated, both by alcohol and by the Allure.

"Come on, come back to the tower with me."

"I already said no. I just want to go back to bed."

"Oh come on, I know you want it, dressing like that."

Davies grabbed her arm and Fleur was going to try to pull away before she caught something in her peripheral vision.

There was shards of ice pointed at different parts of Davie's body. Honestly, calling them spikes would be more accurate, they looked so sharp.

"I believe the lady asked to be left alone Davies."

Davies for his part just gulped. Ever since Harry had been outed as an elemental, things in Ravenclaw had changed. While Harry was always known as someone not to mess with, now, he essentially was at the top of the food chain. Having allies like most of the upperclassmen of Ravenclaw helped.

"Sorry Potter, just a joke," Davies said before running off.

"Sorry about that Fleur.

"It's no problem Harry thank for coming when you did.

"How was your night?"

Fleur gave him a look that said, 'really?'

"I should have taken someone else."

"Oh, why?"

"I thought Roger was able to resist the Allure. Well, apparently, he was only able to do it enough to ask me out without going slack jawed."

"That's…. unfortunate."

"Yea, that's one way of thinking. Maybe I should have just asked you." At this, Fleur got a little bit closer, looking into his eyes. "You're the only one I've met who has truly been able to resist the Allure."

Harry got a little bit nervous at how close Fleur was being. "Well, I had already asked Daphne pretty early, so that may not have worked out anyway."

"Oh, right." Fleur seemed disappointed. "Are you and Daphne close?"

"Not terribly."

"Oh, then why did you ask her?"

Harry pulled out his wand and cast a tempus. It was already well past midnight.

"Do you want to come inside and talk a little bit?"

Fleur looked around uncertainly before shrugging and saying, "Sure."

Harry led the way through the castle, up to the seventh floor. They then stopped in front of an ugly tapestry.

"Where are you taking me?" Fleur asked.

"Somewhere that'll, serve our needs."

Fleur took a step back as the wording, but then stared in shock. In the door, right in front of them, a door was appearing.

"No matter. We have hidden passageways in Beaubaxtons as well."

Harry just smirked at her.

"Yea, well, I'm pretty sure you guys don't have this. Beaubaxtons might have better education right now, but the founders of Hogwarts, they were each geniuses on their own, but together…."

Harry opened the door for her and Fleur gasped.

Inside was amazing. The room was nothing like the rest of Hogwarts. The whole interior was marble, was elegant lounging chairs and a beautiful fireplace. There was also a balcony that had the most amazing view. In fact, it was a view of

"Paris. Been a while since I've been here, but this is what I remember."

"This is amazing. How is this possible?"

"I couldn't tell you all the different magics behind this room. Like I said, together, the founders were geniuses."

Harry walked to the fireplace and turned around.

"This, is the Room of Requirement. It changes to suit the needs of whoever wants to or is using it. I asked for this Room, and also for a view of Paris. Because this is a room, however, most of what we can see isn't there unless we need it to be. For example if we wanted to start walking down in Paris, then the Room will materialize the city as we occupy it."

"Merde. This Room is incredible. I can't believe something like this exists." Fleur walked into the Room, the door closing behind her

"Yea, it is pretty amazing. When I found it, I couldn't believe it. I've spent a pretty long time learning the intricacies. For example, you can't use the room if someone else is using it, _unless_ you are asking for the same room. However, you can also refuse access to people. And then, you can also do this."

Harry pointed towards the side of the room, and suddenly, the left side of the room was an open library.

"The Room can be changed mid use to suit the needs of its designer. By default, each iteration of the Room has one designer, unless that person allows others to make changes. Try to make something. Just wish for something."

Fleur tried to think about what she wanted. _'I wish I there was an elegant bath.'_

Fleur didn't hear anything, but when she looked around, there was a door. Harry was curious as to what she wished for and followed.

When she opened the door, she gasped. Inside was a bathroom just like the room she imagined.

"This place is amazing."

"Yup. Anyway, this wasn't the reason I brought you here. You wanted to talk a little?"

"Right, I was just wondering, why did you take her?"

"My life is complicated. I didn't want to go with my two best friends, because they both have feelings for me, and Daphne, well, I've known her for a while. Plus, it was good politically for her."

Harry paused, but continued at Fleur's urging.

"With my help, she's winning a power struggle in Slytherin House."

"That's another thing. Why does Hogwarts have the house system? It seems only to separate and divide the student body."

"You're right. But, it's how it always has been. It's, well, I don't think Hogwarts will ever change that, given how we're founded."

"True."

The two of them just sat on the balcony, enjoying the fake, but nonetheless beautiful view.

"Harry?"

"Hmmm?"

"Why did you save me that day at the World Cup?"

This was the first time they'll really have talked about it. They glossed over it during their argument. But, this was the first time really talking about it. And it still felt weird to openly talk about his powers with other people.

"I don't know. Honestly, I had gotten lost. But then I heard spellfire and you were in trouble, and the one thing led to another and that happened."

"Why did you use your powers?"

"I may be a skilled duelist for my age, but going 10 versus 1, well, maybe in a few years."

"Well, thank you. If it hadn't been for you, well, I don't even want to imagine what would have happened."

Fleur seemed to hesitate a little bit, before gathering the courage and turning towards Harry.

"Harry. I was wondering…"

"Yea?"

"Can you show me your powers? I just. During the summer, I was obsessed with finding you, finding out who were so that I could thank you. My memory was hazy and I wasn't expecting it to be you, but now that I've met you, I'm glad. But, I don't know, I just want to see it up close."

Harry looked at her, sighed, and nodded.

"Okay."

His hair turned white in a moment, icy blue replacing the emerald green. His scar kaleidoscoped until it covered most of the right side of his face.

"Well, this is the other side of me." Harry looked up at his long hair, and blew on it. "I wish I kept my hair, though. I like my hair."

"I think it suits you." She brushed away some of the hair.

Harry cleared his throat. "Anyway, this is it."

Harry decided to play a prank on her, sending out a wave of frost that completely covered the room, including Fleur.

"Harry!" She shrieked. Harry merely laughed, melting the ice and coalescing all the water in his hand, before moving his hand in an arcing motion, making a dome of ice over him. Then, he added spikes to the dome, repeating in part what he did during the summer. He then sent the spikes out, and noticed the ease with which he did that. Granted, he didn't completely cover himself, but everything felt so much easier ever since his Awakening as he's been calling the incident at the end of the First Task.

"Amazing." Fleur said, mesmerized.

Harry willed the ice to melt and reform into his snowflake in his left hand and a bird in his left, which he gave to Fleur.

"Here."

She held the bird in her hands, before suddenly, it took off.

"I made it hollow, and I'm just controlling the wings right now to imitate flying."

Harry let it fly around Fleur a couple of times before dispelling the ice and cease channeling.

"We should head to bed."

Fleur nodded.

They made their way out of the Room, walking through the hallways together.

As they were separating, Fleur surprised him and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"I'll see you later Harry."

Harry was left standing there for a half a minute before he shook some sense into himself, going to bed.


	11. Chapter 11: Winter Holidays

**A/N: Right. So, double chapter post. I will probably be doing this more often. Why? I don't feel comfortable posting 1 chapter at a time. I don't know why. I have two hypotheses: I** _ **do**_ **hate odd numbers, so there is that possibility. I also may just be feeling mediocre about the writing. So, we'll see. I am in class now as I post this, and have started on the next chapter (opening a word doc counts, right?), so, I'll try my best. Also, my email has taken to filtering follow/favs/reviews, but thanks for everything.**

Harry woke up the next day, and the amount of Christmas presents he received surprised him. He set aside all those from people he didn't know, and opened the ones from his friends. Daphne had tried her best to find something related to elementals in her library it seems, and had gotten him a book. He stored it in his trunk with the rest to peruse later. He had gotten her the best enchanted necklace that he could. While having the heir ring provided some protection, the ones on this were a lot more varied. He had never studied enchanting, but he wished he could have done it himself. Neville had gotten him a dragon hide cloak with the Potter crest. Harry had gotten him dragon hide boots and a wand holster, with a certificate to a wand maker's shop for a wand in Knockturn Alley. Harry didn't doubt Neville's bravery, but in the worst case that he didn't want to go forth, his Grandmother would be more than willing. Susan and Hannah he had both gotten bracelets that were personalized and had Hufflepuff symbols. Susan's had ruby accents while Hannah's had topaz, for their hair. They also had protections on them. Now that people knew what he was, he didn't want the people close to him being targeted, like they almost were accidentally during the First Task.

A surprise came in the form of a gift from Fleur. He had sent her one, nothing too special, just a sapphire pendant. He thought it would match her eyes well, and figured that if they were going to be friends, he might as well. Her gift was simple: some chocolates and a note. Still, he hadn't expected anything at all.

When Harry got home, he wasn't sure what was going on. He'd ridden back with Daphne and Neville. Susan and Hannah rode with their housemates, understandable given what occurred between him and them. No, the strange part was at Kings Cross. He had been planning to simply Apparate from Kings Cross straight home. What he hadn't been expecting was Lily, waiting for him.

"Harry!"

It was strange to hear that name come out of her mouth. James was by her side, but really honestly ignoring him. He resigned himself to his fate and went to go stand by the two. He gave Neville and Daphne a shrug in response to their inquisitive looks. It wasn't long before Thomas arrived as well.

Thomas scowled at Harry before taking James's hand while Harry took Lily's. The two side-along Apparated to Potter Manor before Harry let go of Lily's hand and walked inside.

He went straight to his room and put his stuff away. He collapsed on his bed. Before he knew it, he was being awoken by the sound of knocking.

"Harry? I'm coming in."

Harry didn't really any choice in the matter. I mean, he wasn't an adult, and it wasn't his manor.

Lily came in and sat down at his desk.

"How was the term?"

"It was fine." Harry had no idea why Lily was suddenly asking him about school.

"So… Triwizard champion."

"Yea. I mean, it's not really something I wanted but it happened." This was the weirdest conversation he had ever had.

"I heard you did really well in the First Task."

"I mean, not surprising. It's in the paper."

"You know what else was in the paper…"

"Lily, what do you want?"

Again, Lily was taken aback by the use of her first name. Seeing her firstborn treat her like this was… unsettling.

"I just, I just wanted to get to know you a little better. Particularly with how much you've been in the news recently."

Lily could tell that this was the wrong thing to say. Instantly, the temperature seemed to drop. Lily could practically feel magic permeating the air.

"So that's why, huh? Suddenly, your other son starts to attract a little bit of attention and he's worth getting to know?! Suddenly, you start to care?"

"No, that wasn't it. That's not what I meant!"

"Then what did you mean?"

"I just, you've never had to deal with that, and I just wanted to make sure you were okay. And, seeing you in the paper so much just reminded me of how little I knew about you."

"Did you know anything about me, Lily? Do you remember the first time you went to Diagon Alley, or Kings Cross with me? No? That would be because it never happened. Don't tell me you were trying to protect Thomas from the reporters and that life, I know that's what you were doing. Whereas on the other hand, James was lapping it up."

Lily didn't have a response to this.

"When did this start? When did you remember I existed?"

"…This summer. When I saw your Hogwarts letters."

"Wow. It only took you 12 years."

"I'm sorry!"

"I can't do this. After 12 years, you decide to notice me? Do you even know who raised me?"

Lily was speechless.

"I'm going."

"Where are you going?"

"Maybe you'd know if you had raised me."

Harry was vaguely aware of Thomas's door opening. Harry walked past James who was sitting in the parlor.

Harry walked out the door and disapparated, Lily chasing after him, but having no idea where he went.

When Fleur got back home, her sister immediately launched into her arms.

" _Fleur, tell me all about Hogwarts!"_

" _Hahaha, you're much better off at Beaubaxtons. Hogwarts is so drab, and cold. Beaubaxtons is a palace, and Hogwarts is this ugly castle made of stone."_

" _Yea, but you got to meet the Boy-Who-Lived. And his brother!"_

" _Gabrielle! Come here and help me set the table!"_

Fleur gave a look of relief to her mother who gave her a knowing look of her own. Fleur went upstairs and collapsed on her bed.

"Sigh."

" _Care to tell me what you're thinking about?"_

Fleur looked up to see her papa standing in the doorway.

" _You know, you never replied to my last letter. I was a little bit worried."_

" _I know papa. I just, you know everything happened so quickly. And then, I had to try to make it up with Harry-"_

" _Harry? First name basis Fleur?" Jean Sebastian raised an eyebrow towards her daughter. "I understood when he was a mystery person. But now?"_

" _I know, but it's just, he just seems to get me a little bit. At least, more than anyone else outside of the family."_

" _He also happens to be the one that saved you. Which means, as I suspected, he's an elemental."_

Fleur gave her papa a look.

" _Yea, only every single magical nation in the world knows that."_

" _You have to admit though. I know you didn't know what my suspicions were. But, imagine my surprise when I read in the newspaper that an elemental has been discovered and it was the very person you had wanted me to investigate."_

" _Yea, well, how did that go anyway?"_

" _To other people, he may as well not exist. Or, that was at least true in the past."_

" _What do you mean?"_

" _My counterpart in the British Ministry of Magic is Madame Bones. Well, one of her chief Aurors is James Potter. I have of course had some interactions with the man, but have never heard of Harry. Thomas, of course. Who hadn't heard of him? Well, I guess the same could be said of Harry now as well."_

" _Yea, he alluded to that a little bit. I don't think he has the best family life. He always referred to his father as James, and as far as I could tell almost never interacted with his brother."_

" _Hrmmm… Interesting. However, it is no longer our business. We know your savior's identity, and so I might personally go by later in the year to thank him."_

" _Papa! Are you trying to embarrass me?"_

" _Haha, of course. That is my job after all."_ Fleur lightly smacked him on the arm _. "Your mother wanted me to tell you that dinner will be ready in five."_

" _Ok, I will be down soon."_

Jean-Sebastian turned to leave, but…

" _Papa!"_

" _Yes."_

" _Could you continue your investigation in private then? I feel like there is something off a little bit in the family."_

"… _Fine. I'll see what I can do."_

" _Thanks papa."_

Fleur couldn't help but think back to her and Harry's last conversation. Everything he had showed her was so amazing. His powers, the room. The view of Paris that the room provided. It was all so amazing.

Dinner was an animated affair. Gabrielle couldn't stop asking Fleur questions.

" _So, Fleur, did you meet the Boy-Who-Lived? Did you meet Thomas Potter?"_

" _Yes Gabby, calm down, it's dinner time."_

Fleur's admonishment did nothing to settle her sister down, however, and Gabby's incessant questions brought a light chuckle to her parents. Fleur gave them a glare for not supporting her.

" _What was he like? Is he like all the stories?"_

Fleur had been dreading this moment a little bit. She really didn't want to lie to Gabby, but she didn't want to dash her hopes. While Britain's war never bled much beyond its borders, the impact of it did. There were sympathizers everywhere, not as many as there might have been before Grindelwald's defeat, but they existed. As such, Thomas Potter's fame was widespread, not just in Europe. After all, this was the first recorded case of someone surviving the Killing Curse. Defying the very curse's name. His name was known everywhere, and his books were marketed with that in mind.

" _Non, he is not. He is actually quite… disappointing all in all. He can be quite rude. In fact, he completely dismisses his own brother."_

Gabby deflated a little bit at this, but perked up at the mention of the brother.

" _The brother though! The person who saved you! Was it love at first sight?"_

" _Gabby! I hardly love him. I barely know him."_

" _Yea, but you spent so much time asking about him and searching for him. To think he was right there that whole time!"_

Fleur thought back to how she treated him in the beginning, after the choosing to eh champions and grimaced a little bit. And then she remembered the last interaction she had had with him and a light blush graced her cheeks. Jean-Sebastian was trying hard to contain his laughter.

" _You're blushing! You totally love him!"_

" _Gabrielle, let your sister finish her dinner." Apolline finally stepped in._

Fleur had some trouble finishing her food. Jean-Sebastian didn't truly know how Fleur felt about the boy, but he hoped he was about to find out soon.

Harry decided to take refuge at Longbottom Manor. He wasn't sure how welcome he would be at Bones or Abbott Manors given the situation with Susan and Hannah. Daphne always had her own fights and battles to be fought during the holidays. That left Neville. And truth be told, even without those problems, he probably would have come here anyway. Neville had always been a trustworthy person.

Harry decided to accompany Neville to his greenhouses today. Maybe he could pick something up to improve his Herbology grade.

"So, it finally blew up, huh?"

"Honestly, not even that much. I just couldn't take her looking at me that way. Like she knew me. She knows nothing!"

"Well, at least she seemed to be making an effort now."

They had quite an odd relationship, the two of them. Neville's parents were in the Janus Thickey Ward, which was for irrevocable spell damage. The two of them were tortured. James, Lily, Sirius, and Remus had come to their aid, but just a little too late. Frank and Alice were both mentally damaged, but they had their moments of lucidity, and every moment like that Neville was thankful for. Thankfully, because of their improving condition, breakthroughs were being made in treating similar cases. Neville, because he had his parents for some time, wasn't sure what was worth. Having parents like his, or like Harry's.

"Yea, but at this timing? It seems _too_ coincidental."

"I don't know what you want me to tell you, Harry. Look, you helped convince Gran to let me get my own wand and to pursue what I want. I'll always thank you for that. But, if I'm honest, you're being a little bit whiney."

"What?"

"Look mate. I know you hate them, and you have. I am not their biggest fan either. But you have the chance to perhaps reconnect with your parents. I mean, I'm lucky comparatively that my parents cared about me all my life. But, maybe you shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth. I know the timing is a little suspicious and ultimately, it's your choice. Just remember that you have to live with that choice."

Harry sighed. Neville was right. He had to make a choice. He just, wouldn't make it now.

"You're right Neville. You said it was fine to stay here for the holidays?"

"Yea, of course. Gran is welcome to have you. It's not like anyone will be using the rooms around here any time soon."

"Thanks. I just need some time to think things through."

Right as he said that, however an owl started pecking at the glass door of the greenhouse. Neville took off his gloves and let the bird in. He took the letter of the bird and looked at it.

"It's for you."

"Me?" Harry said. He took off his gloves as well and grabbed the letter from Neville. It was handwriting that he didn't recognize. When he looked inside, he cocked in eyebrow and gave it to Neville.

Neville quickly read over it.

"Jean-Sebastian invited you to a New-Years Ball? Why on earth?"

"I don't know. There could be a number of reasons. Other people, I would suspect he's using me, either for my magical or familial status. But, I've come across him before, and he's a respectable person. Probably has to do with the World Cup, and the fact that I've befriended his daughter."

"So, are you going?"

Harry thought for a moment. It would be a good networking opportunity. Plus, it would be a good opportunity to get out. It also wouldn't hurt to see Fleur a bit. She could be a nice friend to have.

"Sure, why not? It's not like I can stay here forever."

"Are you sure there's no other reason?"

Neville had been joking as he said that. The most affection he had ever seen Harry express to people before Hogwarts were to him and Daphne, and he held them at an arm's length. Then, it was to Susan and Hannah. But, that was just a very close friendship. So, Neville was a little bit more than surprised to see Harry's eyes flicker for a moment.

"Wait, are you serious."

"It's nothing. She just understands me a little bit better than most."

Neville shrugged, but internally his mind was reeling slightly. Susan and Hannah had really changed Harry. He remembered the first ever interaction he and Harry had ever had.

" _Neville, come here!" He obediently came down the stairs. No good ever came out of disobeying his grandmother._

 _As he came down the stairs, he realized that the Potter's were here. Except, they had brought along two people he wasn't quite familiar with. There was a red-headed boy and a boy who could have passed for Lord Potter's twin if Lord Potter were younger or the boy older. He carried himself with indifference, but he was confident. The complete opposite of Neville._

" _Come on Ron! Let's go flying!"_

 _Thomas and red headed boy, presumably Ron, grabbed broomsticks from Lord Potter. Lady Potter seemed about to protest, but let it go. The other boy went off, silently telling the two Longbottoms to not bring him up with a wave of his hand._

 _After shooting an indecipherable look towards the young Potters, Augusta and Neville greeted Lord and Lady Potter. "It's great to see you again."_

" _And you. I'm sorry, Thomas begged to have Ron over this time."_

" _Perfectly alright Lord Potter," Augusta said in a clipped tone._

" _How are Frank and Alice?"_

" _Getting better, although some days it doesn't seem like it."_

" _Understandable."_

" _Neville, why don't you run along now?"_

 _Neville went off to find the boy who disappeared earlier. The Potters came over fairly often, seeing as Lord and Lady Potter were his god parents, just like his mother was godmother to Thomas. But, he had never seen the boy who came with them this time._

 _He eventually found him seeing in the outer portion of the Library. It was a room specifically made because the long honored Longbottom-Potter alliance. Members of either house were allowed in the other's outer library, with certain exclusions. There were floo connections that connected each manor's outer libraries to the other. It was a sign of trust, both to be allowed in the other's home and to be able to partake in part of the other family's knowledge. It took quite a while to exclude the outer libraries from the main warding schemes of each manor, but it was done._

 _The boy was sitting, reading book on magical theory. Neville walked up and sat next to him._

" _Who are you?"_

" _Harry Charlus Potter," the boy answered without looking up. "I can presume your parents and grandparents know about me."_

" _How come I don't know you?"_

" _My parents are to blame for that. They don't bring me out much. It's debatable as to whether they remember I exist. Your grandmother seemed a little surprised to see me."_

" _If she wasn't expecting you, how did you get through the floo? The manor is warded."_

" _I assume I was added to the wards when I was baby. From what I knew, before the attack, our parents were quite close."_

 _The two sat in silence._

" _So do you not like Thomas?" Harry asked out of the blue. He had switched to a new book, but Neville hadn't bothered to look at the title, choosing instead of pick out a Herbology book._

" _I mean, he's alright. But, he's a bit too… outgoing for me."_

" _Heh, that's one way to put it. Do you really mean to say he's an attention seeker?"_

 _There was just the slightest hint of bitterness there, but it was dull. Like, Harry had already accepted things about his life._

" _No. I mean, yes he is, but he really just is a little bit too outgoing for me. I prefer some quiet."_

" _Yea, me too."_

 _Neville didn't know what to say._

" _Do you know the significance of this room, Heir Longbottom?"_

 _The use of his formal title made him pay attention._

" _Yes. I do. This room is one of two, the other being in Potter Manor. A symbol of our continued alliance. And what do I call you, Harry?"_

 _At this, the faintest smile could be seen on Harry's face._

" _Why, I'm Heir Potter of course. Whether or not Thomas knows it, that is who I am."_

That was when they were both 7, going quickly on 8. Back then, as young as he was, his smiles were not due to joy, but rather due to success. His eyes showed no emotion. He was silent, antisocial, carefully choosing his interactions. Even back then, Harry's decision to befriend him was due to their families' alliance and Neville's own lack of closeness with the younger Potter.

Now, well, Fleur was the closest Neville had ever seen to a crush that Harry had ever had. How he had changed.

"I see. Well, what about travel?"

"Covered by the letter. It's a portkey."

Neville nodded. Of course, Delacour was head of the Ministry of Magical Law. It would be fairly easy to ensure secure transport to the invitees.

"So, how about it?" Harry asked.

Neville was so wrapped up in his thoughts, he missed the question. "Sorry, what did you ask?"

"Will you come with me?"

Neville was astounded. "Why me?"

"The Potters and Longbottoms have always been close. You are going to be _the_ Longbottom. Greengrass's and my alliance is unofficial until we are both heads of our houses, plus I've already made that alliance quite clear. You and I have not had that opportunity, and while Susan and Hannah are both very close to me, neither of them have made a wish for an _alliance_ clear, nor do i wish to choose between the two of them."

Neville didn't miss the emphasis on the word alliance when he was talking about Susan and Hannah, and so guessed that he was right about the both of them making their feelings known to Harry. He wasn't sure how he felt about that, seeing as he was currently infatuated with Hannah, but it seems as if the three of them had come to some sort of understanding, especially since Harry did not seem interested.

"Yes, I'll come."

"Good. You'll need to remember Augusta's teaching, and come in your best robes."

Neville nodded.

"There's only a week until the ball. Not much time to prepare."

The week went by super quickly, and before Neville knew it, it was time to go. Augusta seemed to beam with pride.. The two of them had formal dress robes The two of them grabbed the letter right before the clock hit seven, and they were whisked away.

All the portkeys were calibrated so as to stagger the arrival of the guests. Simple really. Harry and Neville immediately started moving so as to clear the Portkey arrival area.

The inside of the Delacour mansion was quite impressive, yet humble. The parlor and the ballroom were quite large, as expected of a family such as the Delacours. But, beyond that, the rest of the house seems very homely.

He and Neville stuck together for most of the beginning. It took a while to get used to everything. Since the two of them had time, Harry had used an immersive language charm on Neville, so he had a basic understanding of the language. It would help, but most people still knew some basic English. They were the only two Englishmen there. That made sense, as Britain was one of the more backwards magical countries, as a result of their lack of participation on either side of Grindelwald's war.

Harry by this point was quite well known. His picture had circulated everywhere, and he used this opportunity to try to network, the same as Neville, as much as possible. He was talking with the French Minister of Magic in English – the French Minister assumed he did not speak French – when movement caught his eye. As he turned, he saw Fleur's father standing there.

" _Jean-Sebastian!_ " The French minister greeted the man. " _As always, you know how to throw a party."_

" _A ball_ ," Jean-Sebastian corrected lightly.

" _Same difference. You did not tell me you were inviting Harry Potter!"_

" _Yes, well, he was the one who saved my daughter during the World Cup incident."_

" _Dreadful that was."_

Harry chose this moment to speak up. " _It is good to finally meet you in person, Mr. Delacour."_

The French Minister seemed shocked that an Englishman had learned his language, but Jean-Sebastian smiled and took it in stride.

" _Fleur told me that you spoke French. Tell me, Mr. Potter, can I ask you a personal question?"_

" _I may not answer, but ok."_ Harry readied himself internally for any questions about his family.

" _Did you happen to be in France about… 4 years ago?"_

'Shit,' was all Harry thought.

Jean-Sebastian saw that Harry seemed to be a little nervous, and tried to calm him slightly. " _Don't worry, Mr. Potter. I'm not here to try to arrest you. We got who we wanted."_

This seemed to placate Harry somewhat. " _I will say that I was in France during that time. As I understand it, my reason for coming was taken."_

" _Yes, well, as it was deemed not harmful, I was able to take it. Would you like it?"_

Harry's eyes lit up. " _If you could, I would at least like to take a look at it. As you can understand, there aren't very many ways I can learn about, my abilities."_

" _Haha, I understand. I must admit, at the time, I was very confused about what I found. There was this one alley that had ice blocking the way. I never made the connection between that and the book because, well, it didn't have just information about elementals._

" _Yes, that was me. And I know about the book, but I have tried tracking down everything about elementals that I can."_

" _At the age of ten? Where were your parents?"_

" _I don't have any."_

" _What do you mean by that?"_ Jean-Sebastian knew he might be pushing it, but…. " _I just talked to your father pretty recently for an update on the Pettigrew situation."_

" _I don't much talk to James, and so wouldn't have heard."_

Harry's posture made it clear that this conversation was over.

Fleur, thankfully for her father, chose this moment to come over and see him. She was wearing a fairly casual black dress. What she did not expect as she came over was the boy standing beside him.

"Harry! What are you doing here?"

Harry merely raised an eyebrow. "I was invited here."

" _Papa! Why didn't you tell me you were inviting him! I would have-"_

" _Would have what, dear?"_

" _Nothing Papa! Harry, come over here and let's talk! I didn't expect you to be here!"_

" _I presumed so, based on your reaction."_

Fleur blushed a little bit. _"Well, I just don't normally see many friends here. Aimee is here, but other than that, it's a lot of old families and politicians. A lot of whom like to leer at me."_

" _That must get annoying. I mean, I've gotten quite a bit of that recently. Either leers or glares."_

" _Understandable, seeing as you are the first elemental in who knows how long?"_

" _Fleur!"_

To Harry's surprise, what seemed like a miniature Fleur came rushing out of nowhere and tackle-hugged Fleur.

" _Gabby! Get off. We're at the ball!"_

" _I know, but I'm soooo bored."_

" _Sigh. Harry, meet my twelve year old sister, Gabrielle."_

" _Harry? Like Harry Potter? Like Thomas's brother? What's he like? What about you? Can you show me your powers? I heard you saved Fleur, that's like all the fairy tales, the knight in armor coming to save the maiden."_

Harry had been about to snap, but realized that that would be mean. He hadn't cared much for people back when he was young, but now he could see that Gabrielle was just overly curious, not such a terrible thing at that young of an age.

Fleur was about to hiss at Gabrielle when Harry started to answer her questions.

" _Hello Gabrielle. Can I call you Gabby?" Gabrielle just giggled and nodded. "Well, Thomas is just like any other 14 year old boy. You should meet him before doing anything. And if you want, I can show a little bit."_

Harry was aware that due to Gabrielle's outburst, many people were watching, including Neville. He was also aware that anyone who had learned who he was had been watching him for quite a while now.

He started channeling. Fleur had seen this before and wasn't surprised, but was still in awe. Everyone else made an audible noise of shock. The change was so sudden, so quick. Harry transfigured Gabby's shoes into ice skates, before waving his hand, making the immediate area around them ice. Luckily, they were off to the side of the ball room

Gabby shrieked and immediately started to skate around.

" _Merci, Harry."_

Harry just shrugged.

"Hey, is there somewhere outside I can go? It's a little bit hot here."

"Yes, there is a veranda near the main ball room. I can take you there."

"Thanks."

The two of them walked beside each other. Fleur and Harry were both hyper aware of anytime their hands happened to brush by each other. They passed by Neville who gave Harry a smirk.

When they finally got there, Harry leaned out.

" _So, this is the view from your house, huh? Quite a good view of Paris."_

" _Not nearly as good as the one you showed me. Where is that even from?"_

" _Honestly, I don't remember. It was four years ago. I was running from your dad when an Auror found me. The only reason I really remembered your father's name was because that Auror sent a Patronus to your father indicating where I was. I had to knock him out."_

" _I remember that incident. Papa was furious that a member of the crime ring had gotten away. But, no matter how much he interrogated the prisoners, they insisted he had gotten all of them."_

Harry scratched the back of his head. _"Yeeaaa. Sorry about that. I mean, I just didn't want anyone to know I was there, and what I was there for, so I had to split. I already told your father part of the story._

" _Harry?"_

" _Hrmm?"_

" _Can you tell me about your family?"_

It was very clear that was not what Harry wanted to do. But, before he could tell her off she kept talking.

" _Look, I know that we're similar. We've talked about it, but never_ really _talked about it. And I want to. And I feel that your family is part of that."_

Harry didn't know what to say. So, he sighed.

" _My parents never really paid attention to me. Maybe when we were young. Maybe if we had all been older when Voldemort attacked, they would have been better parents. But, between the pressure from Dumbledore and the mania that is British wizarding society, Thomas's needs overshadowed mine. He needed to be protected, shielded, trained; they didn't abandon me. They just, forgot about me. With the attack on their friends, Thomas's protection became ever more important, and I was raised by house elves until I was 6. They didn't even make that decision. The house elves had to make that decision. After a few years, what they were doing seemed natural, so they just forgot about me. I was invisible to them."_

Fleur couldn't imagine what that would feel like. To not know the love of her parents. Her emotions must have shown, because Harry waved her off.

" _I am envious of my brother sometimes. But, at the same time, I have things that he might never have. True friends. Power. And if those are the parents he has, I'm glad that I didn't have them, lest I end up like him. I wasn't old enough to know what it felt like to have parents. Because of all that, I've never been seen for me. Not until now. I was always Thomas's brother, if they even remembered me. I was like a shadow. Always there, but only noticed every so often. Everything I did was put into perspective with what he did, or supposedly did. And what about you?"_

" _I can't say it's exactly the same. But, I feel the same way. None of my accomplishments are my own. The Grindelwald's war did a lot to curb opinions on blood purity and so called half breeds. But, still, there are some who express those opinions. And, disregarding those general ideas, a lot of people seem to think I use my heritage to my own benefit. The women are all jealous of me and think I'm trying to steal their significant others, while the men lust after me, all of them thinking that because I am a Veela, I am sleeping with people to get the grades that I do. That the only reason I am one of the favored students of Beaubaxtons is because I am pretty. That's why I wanted to compete in the tournament is to prove myself. That became even more important when I figured out champions were chosen by the Goblet. No way to seduce an inanimate object. It gave me a chance to prove myself."_

" _Well, we're definitely the same in that way. While I was completely expecting Thomas's name to come of the Goblet, my name coming out gave me a chance to show that I am as good, if not better than him."_

 _The two of them just stood in silence at that, enjoying the other's company._

" _I'm glad you told me that," Harry spoke first. "I could guess some of that, based on what I know of Veela. But, I never really knew the extent of it."_

" _I'm glad you told me about yourself as well. I… It's not exactly the same. But, I don't know, it's nice to be able to talk to someone else about this, not being seen for you, more as a what."_

" _Have you never talked about this to your friend?"_

" _Aimee? I have a little, but not much. We've been friends since we were very young, and that's why we're still friends. And she gets it, just, not as well as you do."_

" _Well, I guess the same goes for me. My friends understand, but only so far."_

" _I have a question actually. What did you mean that you expected Thomas to get chosen?"_

" _Well, Thomas is the boy-who-lived, and with that title comes a number of attempts on his life. A number of those he probably wouldn't have survived without me."_

Fleur seemed to want him to go on.

" _Well, it's just, as a Gryffindor, he tends to rush in first, think last. While I despise him, I feel obligated to try to keep as many people alive as I can if I can. That includes him. I've had to go after him and save him from whatever he has decided to face that time. So, naturally, when I heard murmuring and such, I thought that he had been chosen. I wouldn't say that I was happy to stay in his shadow, but now, I feel exposed."_

" _I know what that feels like. While I wasn't trying to hide my heritage, it wasn't public knowledge until a couple of years in, and suddenly, my every move seemed to be scrutinized."_

Inside, Harry heard a countdown starting. The French seemed to have taken something from the Muggles then. He looked back towards Fleur, and the two of them just stared out at Paris, enjoying the view and each other's company.

After everyone started cheering, the two of them headed back inside. It wasn't long before Harry found Neville and decided to go back home. The last thing that Harry saw before being whisked away by a Portkey was Fleur's smiling face, and then she was gone.


	12. Chapter 12: The Second Task

**A/N: Well, this can be for your sake. I started writing this chapter on 9-8-17. Let's see when it gets posted. I am sorry for however long it takes. Sometimes, I just hit a block or am unhappy with a development, but don't know how to write it better.**

 **A/N: Well, that was actually not bad. I mean, to be honest, not the best that I want this to be, but I can't think of better ways. If anyone sees an inconsistency or spelling or grammar error, PM me. I'm more likely to see it. I actually finished this on 9/29, but didn't want to publish it due to… unhappiness?**

Harry had spent the rest of the holidays at Longbottom Manor. He went with Neville and Augusta to visit Frank and Alice. Sometimes, it would seem as if they were perfectly lucid, but then would slip back. The lucid moments were becoming more and more frequent, which was a good sign.

They always tried to veer away from the topic of the other Potters, knowing that the topic would most likely make Alice and Frank upset. Alice after all was Harry's godmother.

Harry was always thankful that the two of them had moments of lucidity. While Frank was still deemed unfit for Wizengamot duties and Augusta held the seat for him and Neville in regency, he was still able to give his mother a piece of his mind when Neville came in looking meek and scared. And don't even get started on Alice. While Augusta may listen to Frank because he is her child, she also ended up getting a mouthful from Alice. Harry is pretty sure that because of those two, Neville grew up quite well.

Harry didn't feel like going back home, and was thankful that he didn't. The Potter had hosted their annual party, except according to some, this year, there were quite a few people asking after him. Being at the Longbottoms' and Delacours' allowed him to be away from that.

Coming back to school was very strange for a number of reasons. Susan and Hannah's families had their own holiday plans, so this was his first time seeing the two of them since the start of the holidays. It was still a little tense, but they both seem to have had fun. They had gone skiing in the Alps. Conversation quickly started in the train ride, and Daphne soon joined the four of them.

There wasn't much fanfare to coming back to Hogwarts. He saw Fleur fairly often, but for some reason, after the ball, it seemed that they talked even less. He felt some slight discomfort and perhaps even disappointment. He didn't really know what to think of it, but just kept doing his work. He still spent every other night going to the Room of Requirement to practice. He would also being the golden egg with him. After a few weeks of listening to the shrieking, he absentmindedly wished that the Room would help him in his endeavor.

Harry sat back for 10 minutes and went back to practicing before he realized that in the far corner of the room, there was a pool where there wasn't before. Curious, he stepped towards it.

Thinking back, the only thing he could imagine was that the Room responded to his fleeting wish. He brought the egg over and dunked it. Then, he brought it back up and opened it, just for it the shriek in his face.

"Bloody hell!"

Harry quickly dropped the egg in surprise and pain, and as it fell into the pool, he froze it in anger. After a few moments, he sighed and unfroze the pool, before realizing that the egg didn't seem to be shrieking anymore. Harry carefully lowered his face into the pool, still suspicious of the egg.

" _Come seek us where our voices sound,_

 _We cannot sing above the ground,_

 _And while you're searching ponder this,_

 _We've taken what you're sorely miss,_

 _An hour long you'll have to look,_

 _And to recover what we took,_

 _But past an hour's the prospect's black,_

 _Too late, it's gone, it won't come back."_

As Harry rose up from the pool of water, he cursed.

"Shit."

Harry went back in the pool to listen a few more times. Once he had it memorized he sat, thinking, before pacing.

' _I don't have many worldly possessions. My robes, trunk, a couple of other trinkets. The map. Thomas has the cloak, which would be the most valuable thing. I mean, do they even know about the map? I don't think so. They can't exactly take away the Room either. What would they take? Think, this is just another Ravenclaw door riddle. Think. Think. What would Susan and Hannah say? Well, Susan would probably say that she would miss me or Hannah as a joke. And Hannah-'_

Harry's thoughts ground to a halt.

' _They would miss me. What would I miss? Rather, who would I miss? Who would miss a thing rather than a person? They're going to take prisoners. Hostages. Whatever. Where our voices sound. Underwater. The Black Lake._ '

Harry's mind was working at lightning speed, trying to wrap his head around this.

"They're insane." he finally concluded. "If I thought they had common sense, then they might have chosen any old item that was easy for each champion to identify which was theirs. Personal items that posed no risk. But no, knowing them, they'll give the dumb riddle and then think that, of course they can't just lie about the damn Task, the riddle has to be 100% accurate."

"Ok, so where do we start?"

In the next few weeks, it became evident that all of the champions of the champions had figured out the clue as well. Cedric had come up to Harry about a week after he himself had figured it out to give him a hint, Cedric being a Hufflepuff and all. To his surprise, Harry told him that he had already figured it out. During their talk, however, something worried Harry.

"Yea, to my surprise, Professor Moody gave me a hint. I never thought that he would do that. He doesn't really know me personally and I'm not a stand out student in his class like I've heard you are."

That was still a bit of a sore subject with Harry. Moody was always giving him a hard time. He was the first to resist the Imperius, and was forced to demonstrate for the rest of the class until he could fully withstand its effects. But this, this was suspicious. Why would Moody give Cedric a hint and not him? Moody seemed to favor Harry in that weird way of his. He kept mulling over it, but couldn't come up with an answer.

A month before the Task was to start, all four of the champions were seen by the Lake, brushing on their swimming. Harry tried and tried to think of a way to use his powers underwater, but ice floated. Of course, Harry could just force the ice under the surface. His original idea had been to have an ever elongating tunnel of ice take him to the bottom of the lake to search. That way he wouldn't have to worry about swimming, nor about staying underwater for an hour. As he did not have a foolproof plan to use his elemental powers, he spent half the time swimming with the others.

Word had spread, and soon, there was almost a crowd by the Black Lake. Krum would have attracted enough by himself, but having Cedric and Fleur there as well in their swimsuits caused them to garner a lot of attention. Harry received some, but not as much as the other kids, and he had to admit, seeing Fleur in a swimsuit was quite nice.

Luckily, unlike any of the other champions, Harry didn't have to worry about the cold. It was one of the few advantages he had. After all, how effective could he be if he got shivers just from conjuring his own ice?

It was at the end of one of these swimming sessions that Thomas waved him over. He looked a little sheepish at even being there, so Harry heard him out.

"What do you want Thomas?"

"I, er, I was just wondering where you went for the holidays. Mom was asking about you."

"Is that why you're here? For Lily?"

Thomas may be thick, but even he picked up on the first name use.

"No, I was also wondering. I saw you leave, and you never came back, and then some people started asking about you."

"So is that why? So you'll have answers for them?"

"No, stop! Look, I know we've had our differences-"

"Understatement."

Thomas grit his teeth, but continued. "-but, I just, I want to apologize."

"For what? Being you?"

He cringed, but continued. "Yes, for that, for everything. I was terrible to you, despite you saving my life every year."

"But look, for the sake of family, I want to try to get to know you. I know I fell back onto old habits when you got chosen, but, it was just the ridiculousness of the thing. It was always me getting into trouble, and this year, it's you, and you get to be in the tournament? I was just mad. But, for family, can we try to get to know each other?"

Harry let Thomas finish before turning away and leaving with a parting shot.

"You, Lily, and James are _not_ my family."

Harry came across a solution quite by accident. He was trying his tunnel strategy again when, to try to stabilize it, he spread tendrils of ice from it to the banks. He was feeling around with the tendrils when it occurred to him, he _felt_ the tendrils. He knew where they were, despite not being able to see them. He turned the tunnel back into water and then sat down.

He closed his eyes and made a tendril, and found, he could follow its movements.

Opening his eyes, he grinned. This could work

The next few weeks were hard. His reserves, while growing faster than ever before ever since the Awakening, still could be depleted quite easily by certain exercises, and this was one of them.

At the end of the first week, Harry had 20 different orbs of ice circling around him, all doing different actions. Some of them orbited each other as well as him, like pulsars, while others went along is a zigzag pattern, while others spun and so forth. While they each had their own pattern, they all loosely orbited him. Focusing on one was hard enough. But, for Harry to focus on each of them was difficult. While all of this work was strictly necessary for the Second Task, he decided that this kind of elemental manipulation was the next step he had to take. To be honest, getting two to do different things was the hardest step. It's so easy to make all of the ice do the same thing, like indiscriminately circle around him, or to make a shape or to all fly towards a target. This however was much harder.

By the end of the third week, Harry was confident that he had a plan figured out. He stopped showing up to the lake because he didn't know exactly where the hostages would be held. Susan, Hannah, and the others had been worried about how hard he been working, but now they were worried that he wasn't practicing anymore. They kept asking him, Neville and Hannah especially, if he was sure he was ready. It finally came to a head when on the day before the Second Task, Neville asked, "But are you sure?" and Harry yelled, "YES NEVILLE!" He had accidentally started channeling, and the sudden change of his body startled them. He stopped and apologized

"Sorry. I know it doesn't seem like it, but I am just as worried as you are."

"It's ok Harry, we understand," Susan said.

And in a way, he supposed they could. They had been subject to a lot of harassment ever since he had been outed. Which was something else. He figured that it was Voldemort that was behind his being in the tournament, but how and why? How would he know? He only ever revealed his powers to Voldemort's diary, which shouldn't have gone back to old snakeface. He purposefully never used his powers in front of Pettigrew, causing him to escape, but Harry's secret was safe. And does that mean the dragon was an accident? Or was it orchestrated in order to out him? For now, he let it rest until he got more information. He was about to keep speaking when McGonagall came into the library, where they five of them had been studying.

"Miss Greengrass, the Headmaster would like to speak to you."

The other four had a grim expression on their faces. Harry had told them the clue and also what he thought of it, and they had agreed with his reasoning. They figured Daphne would be the one chosen, seeing as Harry was not the most sociable person (understatement), and Daphne had been his Yule Ball date.

Daphne started to pack her things and just said one thing to him.

"Don't let me drown Potter."

McGonagall gave Harry an evaluating look, before leaving with Daphne, presumably either to Dumbledore's office or to get the other hostages.

As she went out of sight, it was a few minutes later when Susan spoke up. "Say, Harry couldn't you have just given her one now discretely?"

The next couple of minutes were spent cursing until Harry calmed down enough to just head to Ravenclaw tower and wait for the Task to start.

Breakfast was quite an affair, but with wizards being wizards, they still didn't seem to be able to connect the dots between "missing people" and "dawn of second task". Harry just sighed and looked around. From the whispers at Gryffindor and his own table, he deduced that someone from those houses had been taken. Looking around, he noticed Granger and Chang missing. Cedric and Krum themselves seem to have made the connection, and were looking grim. It seems that they had no anticipated people being taken. Then Fleur looked the worst out of all of them. She couldn't focus on her food, and kept giving the Great Hall doors a glance, as if hoping someone would walk through them. Harry decided to walk over.

" _Eat. I don't know who was taken, but you'll need your energy to be able to rescue them."_

Fleur was startled at his voice, but then turned to listen and dejectedly nodded. Slowly, but surely, she started to eat her breakfast.

" _Who is it?"_

" _Gabby. She was visiting with my family, but my parents told me that she disappeared last night."_

Harry just had to wonder what Dumbledore was playing at. Not asking permission, it's like he was asking for an international incident.

" _I know water isn't really your strong suit, but you can do it. I know you can."_

Fleur looked up and nodded, resolute.

Once breakfast was over, Dumbledore headed to the podium and spoke, magically amplified.

"If everyone could please head over towards the Black Lake, further instructions will be made there.

When Harry got there, the spectators had already started filing into the stands that had been moved from the First Task. Harry saw that the judges were heading towards a table a bit further down the bank, so he decided to go there.

When all four of them had gathered, Ludo spoke up.

"May I have your attention? Now, last night, each of the champions had something, or rather, someone stolen from them. They'll have one hour to retrieve that person from the lake. Each of their methods will be judged when they arise from the lake. We will begin in 5 minutes."

Harry breathed. He looked around, and Krum's and Cedric's anxiousness had turned to anger. Neither of them seemed very happy at the revelation of hostages, and based on their expressions, they both knew who had been taken. Daphne had been with him when she was taken, and Fleur knew her sister was missing.

When there were 2 minutes remaining, he saw Thomas beckon him over. He looked worried.

"Look, ok, you don't consider us family. And I know you don't particularly like Hermione, but I think she's Krum's hostage, and just if, he can't get her."

Harry sighed. "Fine. But I'm not doing this for you."

"I know. And I know you probably don't want to know, but I figured that I should warn you."

Harry followed where Thomas's finger was pointing, and some of his anger flared up. Thomas seemed to sense this.

"Thank you Thomas, for the warning."

Harry made his way over to the other champions where he waited. He made sure he had gillyweed in his pocket as backup. He was the only champion not in swimwear, instead opting to go a tee shirt and a pair of jeans.

When the whistle blew, he was also the only one not jumping in the water. Some of the Slytherins started to ridicule him as he just sat down, but then, he started channeling and instantly, there were some 100 odd orbs of ice in the air.

Harry unclenched a fist that he had unknowingly made and they sped off towards the depth of the ocean. Each ball was inch in diameter, so as to prevent buoyant forces from keeping too much of his attention. He had each orb orbiting an invisible center so as to prevent missing anything. He didn't even hear the crowd anymore, he had to concentrate that much. There was so much in the lake, the merpeople, the kelp, the squid, grindylows, and who knew what else. This was Hogwarts, Merlin only knew what was in the Black Lake.

Twenty minutes had passed, and people were starting to murmur, even some of Harry's strongest supporters.

"Susan, what is he doing?" Neville asked. While he had helped Harry, Susan and Hannah knew most of the details.

"He's connected to each of those orbs he sent out, and he's using that as a malleable net. He's essentially using them to map out the lake. If an orb finds something, it spreads some ice to see if it's human. If not then it rejoins the net. He has to keep the rest of the "net" moving so as to not lose time."

"And if he finds one, then what happens?"

"Watch and you'll find out."

As if on cue, Harry stood up.

' _Bingo.'_

He had all of the orbs gather around the one that had found the hostages to act as a sort of guide. Now that they weren't actively doing anything, he could concentrate and took a moment to ready himself. He breathed in, and then thrust forward.

In an instant, the entire top part of the lake near the bank was frozen, with a hole leading down. You could faintly see some ice under the surface before it got too deep.

He formed a block behind and before running for the opening and diving in. He willed the block behind him to follow him to push him to his destination faster. He had instantly built a tunnel of ice that was completely transparent and anchored into the ground. He had tendrils coming off the bottom that had dug into the ground, so all he had to do was focus on was the ice itself, and not keeping it down. He thought of this as he thought of the problems of keeping a tunnel of ice under water while he searched. But, if he separated the two processes, it became simpler.

As he finally reached the destination, he expanded the tunnel into a room and cast a tempus. It had been 30 minutes total now since they started. This is where it got tricky. He had to find a way to either exit his tunnel and grab the hostage, or grab the hostage and bring them in. He decided to go with the later.

Harry created a saw blade of ice that cut through the rope of seaweed binding Daphne to the statue near the merpeople village. He then had an ice tendril form around her leg and brought her into a make shift airlock. It was quite possibly the weirdest thing he had ever done with his ice, making an airlock underwater. Once her face was exposed to air, she woke up with a gasp.

"Harry!"

"Daphne. As you can see, you've been rescued."

"You prat," she said lightly slapping him.

"Come on, let's go."

This time, he had to use the block to get up, but it only took them five minutes.

"And the first to come back with their person is Mr. Potter!"

Madam Pomfrey bustled around the two, making sure they were okay. She made sure that Daphne especially had a towel and a hot drink.

"Wow, so you managed to do an underwater task without even getting wet."

Harry turned around and hugged Susan and Hannah.

"Hahaha! Yes, it worked. I almost didn't expect it to."

"What?" Daphne asked, her expression promising pain if she didn't like what she heard.

"I had a plan B Daphne, don't worry," he waved off her concerns showing her the gillyweed. At that, Daphne seemed a little more pleased, but most thoughts ground to a halt as someone helped a coughing Fleur Delacour up.

"No! I must go back. _Let go of me you idiots!"_

She was trying to fight them off, but she couldn't. She locked eyes with Harry and went towards him.

"Harry! Please. My sister…"

She didn't finish the thought. All of them had heard the riddle. And Harry couldn't stand the sight of her like this.

Harry, luckily having kept his constructs intact went back into his tunnel, urging the ice to move him faster. When he got to the room again, he noticed that above him, Granger and Chang were no longer there.

He had started to do the same thing as he did with Daphne when he saw something in his vision. A trident had impaled itself in his room. He quickly froze the area around it and refroze the cracks in the ice. He looked towards the source, a merman trying to tell him something. He was pointing towards Gabby and shaking his head.

"You don't understand! Her sister can't get here!"

But, without going into the water, which Harry decided he was not going to do, he decided to finish this the easy way. He froze a column of water around Gabby and then proceeded to drag her down to the airlock. The merpeople started to try to break the column, but seeing that it was too thick, tried to break the walls of the room.

Harry quickly brought her out of the "airlock" and when she woke up, she started to babble in French.

" _Harry? What are you doing here? Where is Fleur, I thought she would be the one to be rescuing me. Where am I?"_

" _Gabby, I need you to just hold on for one second."_

He laid down with her by his side in the tunnel, and motioned for the block to take them back up. The merpeople gave up, and left to go back to their own village.

When he finally popped out of the tunnel, Fleur and her parents were waiting for them.

" _Gabby!"_

The family started to huddle around her.

" _It's okay, Harry saved me. The merpeople didn't seem that happy, but he got me out."_

" _Why were you even taken?"_

Harry let the family talk amongst themselves. It wasn't his place, and Dumbledore had started to speak.

"Attention. Now, as Mr. Potter was the first one back with his hostage, well within the hour time limit with a time of 35 minutes, he has been awarded 45 points, for efficient use of magic, and for also thinking of a backup in gillyweed. Points were taken off for a lack of demonstration of knowledge of other magic."

Harry shrugged. He could live with that. With his previous score, that put him at a nice 88 points.

"Mr. Krum was the next one back, with 5 minutes of the allotted time remaining. He made use of a self-transfiguration and for that, we have awarded him 40 points."

That put Krum at 80 points.

Cedric ended up at 77, and Fleur had unfortunately ended up at 65.

At this point, Bagman took over speaking.

"The third and final task will start at dusk on the 24th of June. The champions will be notified of what is coming precisely one month before the task."

Harry made to leave to be with his friends, but a hand stopped him. When he turned around, it was Fleur.

" _Harry, I… Thank you. For what you did. I know now that they wouldn't have let Gabrielle die, but I was just so worried, and then I saw you go back into lake so quickly I. I just didn't know what to do."_

" _One of the few times the magical world makes sense. And you know me, my saving people thing."_

" _Harry?"_

" _Hrmmm?"_

" _Shut up."_

With that, Fleur practically smashed her face against his. For a moment, the whole world froze. Nothing else mattered. Only the feeling of the girl in front of him mattered, and they both melted into the kiss. The whole world seemed to have gone silent.

After what seemed like ages, when they finally did break apart, the two of them realized that everyone around them _had_ indeed gone silent. Susan and Hannah had sad smiles on their face, as if they knew it was coming. Malfoy was fuming, as was most of the male population. Everyone was shocked. While he didn't regret the kiss in the slightest, Fleur really had bad timing.

" _We'll talk about this later, I have to go deal with the fallout, ok?"_

" _Ok,"_ she said, kissing him on the cheek.

It was time to face the music.


	13. Chapter 13: Pacts, Plots, and Potters

**A/N: Lol, so, as I was writing this, I kept getting all these emails (I use gmail, and have a chrome app that tell me how many unread emails I have), and I was like, what? Then I saw fanfiction in the updates tab, and I was like, "Ooh! Story updates?" and then I saw it was reviews, and was just like, "Awwwww." Also, thanks to and TinyTauren for pointing out a couple of mistakes of mine.**

 **I'm sorry for this taking too long. Shit happens. Also, if you guys can't tell by the end of this chapter, I had trouble deciding on where to take this story, and so things may get a little twisted. There are quite a few stories that I have read that went like that (cough cough, Cadmean Victory). If you don't like where I am taking it, sorry. I now understand the struggle. But, I am still persevering. I still enjoy this story. Sometimes, I just spend some time writing my other two stories (I probably won't publish those until they are finished are close to it).**

 **Oh, I guess I forgot to mention this, so I will just be updating the chapter. I changed my screen name, as most people don't know I write, so used one of my backups. That's why it changed, if you noticed.**

Harry couldn't have predicted the aftermath of having two of the champions date if he tried. He didn't, because he didn't expect it in the slightest. Well, that may be stretching the truth a little bit, as he should have realized his own feelings towards the French witch.

Karkaroff was, of course, furious. He had been mad when Harry had been chosen as the second Hogwarts champion, but now, he felt that with two of the champions dating, it left his own champion all alone.

"Hogwarts' two champions are already probably working together!"

"Those are baseless claims and you know it. There has been no evidence whatsoever to suggest that the two of us have been working together."

"At the very least, Durmstrang will be singled out, because one of the Hogwarts champions and the Beaubaxtons champion are dating, they will doubtlessly work together to make the Third Task easier."

"And why on earth would he do that?" Fleur interjected. "Only one person gets to be the Triwizard Champion. It would actually be idiotic, because it would just cause rifts to open between us."

"I mean, what did you expect with him?" Harry asked.

"And just what is that supposed to mean, half-blood?"

"I guess you should kneel and kiss my feet then, just as you did another half-blood. Your left arm is a testament to what you did."

Karkaroff drew his wand, but Harry was faster. He knew he had been provoking him, but he didn't care. He didn't want to have to deal with this. He rushed Karkaroff and had a blade made of ice at his throat. Blue eyes stared into blue.

"I'm begging you, please. Just give me a reason. One less of you to be on this earth."

Karkaroff swallowed nervously, his adam's apple brushing against the tip.

"Igor," Dumbledore interjected. "Put the wand away."

He reluctantly put the wand away, and Harry backed off.

"What did I expect?"

"Son, stop it."

Fleur immediately backed off.

A line of ice flew across the ground and froze James Potter's feet to the ground.

"Harry!"

Lily came over.

Before Bozo could even think about taking a picture, Harry threw his blade of ice at the camera.

"If you're here, where did Rita go off to?"

Bozo only looked at Hermione in panic, but then realized his mistake and looked at the ground.

Harry narrowed his eyes, taking long strides towards the girl. Krum moved to defend her, but Harry pushed him aside with promises that he wouldn't hurt her.

There. He saw a glint of light. As he searched for the source, he saw that it was a small bug. A beetle to be precise. He quickly conjured a jar and spelled it to be unbreakable before stuffing the beetle inside and sealing it. _'I'll deal with her later.'_

"What do you want, Lily, James?"

"We just want to talk. And there is no reason to disrespect the Highmaster."

"No reason? Coming from you, I don't even know what to say."

"Lily, James, perhaps we should take this to my office?"

"Fine. Harry?"

Harry looked between Fleur, his friends, and his enemies. He decided to follow them, for now. He went over to Fleur and whispered in her ear, _"Meet me by the room at seven."_

He then made to leave with Dumbledore, Lily, and James.

When they finally got to the office, Harry wasn't sure what was going to happen. Honestly, he saw this coming for a while. Ever since his last conversation with Dumbledore, and to an extent, earlier than that, when Lily saw his Hogwarts letter.

Dumbledore wanted Thomas to come up as well, so here they were. Harry sat on the left side, while the other three sat on the right with Dumbledore at his desk.

"Now, let's all be civil here and talk about this like grown-ups."

"Grown-ups? You're in the presence of a 5 year old man-child."

"Harry."

"That's Mr. Potter to you, Headmaster. Nevertheless, he sat back down.

"We were wondering," Lily started, "where you were during the winter holidays?"

"Not that it's any of your business, but-"

"Now see here Harry! It is our business. You're our son." James at this point stood up. Apparently, he hadn't gotten the memo, because Thomas flinched and tried to hide a little bit.

"I am not your son! I haven't been your son for 13 years! You don't even know who raised me."

"I do. The elves did."

"You know, I would be surprised that you know that, but…. Mipsy." Mipsy popped in the office. "Did James order you to tell him you raised me?"

"Yes, Master Harry. Ooo, if Master Charlus and Mistress Dorea could only be seeings Master James now." She had a disapproving look on her face.

"Mipsy, I order you to leave."

Lily was crying at this point.

"Like I was saying, I was at the Longbottom's."

"Them? Why were you there?"

"Because in case you haven't forgotten, the Longbottoms and Potters have held an alliance of mutual aid for centuries. Has that been so easy for you to forget with Frank and Alice in the hospital?! Neville is your godson! When was the last time you visited them? Or even paid your respects to Dame Longbottom? The last time I remember was 6 years ago. Potters and Longbottoms are brothers in arms."

"I know what we are! I haven't forgotten!"

"Well it sure seems like you have!"

The two of them glared at each other. Harry always disliked James the most. Boisterous, headstrong, and careless. James was everything Harry never wanted to be, especially since, according to the elves, most of Thomas's bad behavior came from him. He seemed to only remember things that benefitted him.

"Harry. I know what we did was wrong. But please, honey. I want to try to fix that. I want us to be family again. Please."

"It's too late for that Lily. Maybe if you were six years earlier, and even then, I don't know. Do you know what it is like, growing up and seeing you paying attention to Thomas, and not me? I was caring for myself by the time I was six." Harry silently apologized to Neville. It seems like reconciling his family wasn't going to happen.

"We had to take care of Thomas. His needs came first. The Dark Lord's followers were after us. You know what happened Frank and Alice."

"James!" Lily and Dumbledore both admonished him.

"You care about them that much? That's funny, seeing as I've never seen you visiting them. And he needed more care? Sure, I would have accepted that, if you guys even had acknowledged my existence. The first time I got my Hogwarts's letter, when I went to Diagon Alley and Kings Cross, you weren't there for any of it. The worst part is that you can't accept any of that!"

"Harry…" Dumbledore started.

"Again, Mr. Potter. And don't even get me started on you. I don't think you even remembered I existed until McGonagall called a Potter during the Sorting, but the name preceding it was Harry and not Thomas."

Harry decided to at least consider Neville's words. He turned towards Thomas. "Thomas. We may never be able to be brothers again. You were just a product of your environment, and honestly, I'm glad I wasn't. I wouldn't want to end up like him."

Thomas seemed a little indignant, but conceded that maybe Harry had a point.

"We might become friends, and that might be the most we will ever be, but even that's a maybe. That's all I'm willing to promise."

Thomas nodded.

"That's all that I have to say."

"Wait!" Dumbledore's shout stopped him.

"What do you want, Headmaster?"

"Have you given it any more thought? Will you help us?"

Harry just sneered. "No. I won't be a tool or a weapon for you to use. I won't be a pawn on the chessboard. I'm going to be my own player."

Harry walked away.

"You know Rita, did you know that the list of registered animagi is available to the public? Imagine my surprise when I learn that your name isn't on it!"

The beetle seemed to try to scuttle backwards, but there was nowhere to go.

"So, here's the deal. You don't write about me, and I keep your little secret. But, if there is ever a hint that you were involved in an article, that your toxicity has affected me, then I'll make the ministry the last thing you want to worry about."

If a beetle could look scared, then it did.

"Oh, that extends to all of my friends here as well."

Harry had decided to gather everyone in an unused classroom. They had already taken care of wards by the time he had gotten there. All of them were from pureblood houses, they knew the precautions to take.

Harry opened the jar, and the beetle instantly flew out, heading towards the door and flying away.

"So now that the pest has been taken care of, try not to bother her too much. Daphne, I suppose you can use that for blackmail against her if needed.

Daphne smiled. He knew exactly what she was thinking.

"So, anything to ask?"

Here, Neville spoke up. "What did they ask?"

"They wanted to get to know me again. Thomas, well, he has maybe changed. So I told him I might approach him. No promises though."

Susan and Hannah didn't know what to think about that. On the one hand, Harry as giving him a chance. On the other, they remembered how snootily Thomas had acted towards the two of them.

"I don't think you should even give him a thought. Did he give you one?" Susan muttered. She believed in justice and karma, being Amelia's niece and all.

"Well, the way he turned out was more of the fault of James and Lily, so I won't blame him too much."

Neville nodded. Lily was his godmother as well, even though his grandmother took care of him. He figured that that was good enough for now.

Daphne was the first to break the ice.

"So, you and the French Champion…"

"Yea, it just happened."

"It just happened? Things like that don't just happen!" Hannah was yelling.

"I didn't expect it, nor did I pursue it. Things just happened, we connected."

Hannah didn't seem satisfied by this answer, but Susan put a hand on her shoulder to calm her down. Hannah was always the more outspoken one.

"And you like her Harry?" Susan asked.

"Yes, I do. It took a while to realize, but I do."

Susan nodded, like that was good enough for her.

"Does this effect either of us?" Daphne asked, pointing to her and Neville.

"No, our plans are still on track. If anything, everything that has happened has helped. People learning about my abilities, and then my alliance with you, has helped to solidify our power block."

Daphne nodded. The Slytherin cold civil war had ended. Daphne's power block had consisted of Adrian Pucey, Rachel Haverford, Tracey Davis, Blaise Zabini, and a few other key Slytherin players. They were the true Slytherins, using everything for their end goal. Malfoy's block consisted of people under his father's payroll, along with others such as Flint who believed in the Dark Lord's agenda. Eventually, a vote was taken in a House Assembly. Slytherin was the only house where House Assemblies were regularly called, and it was also the only House that had an unofficial leader, who was now Daphne.

"Your plans?" Hannah asked.

"I didn't want to tell you, but some things changed. Mainly, my participation in this Tournament. So, I decided that now, when all of us would meet, would be a good time. I originally didn't want to tell you because we had been friends, not allies."

"Don't worry, we can be both. And I'm sure that Greengrass and Longbottom can be both as well," Susan said. Daphne gave a noncommittal shrug, while Neville smirked.

Harry turned to address Susan.

"Susan, as last of your line, you will come into your ancestral seat when you turn 17, correct?"

Susan nodded.

"And Hannah, your father holds the Abbot seat until such a time that it passes to you, correct?"

"Yea, so what?"

"Well, as you know I'm Potter heir, just as Susan and Neville are the Bones and Longbottom heirs. While Daphne and Hannah are also their house's heirs, their houses still have Lords. But, that is of little consequence because Daphne, who has been making connections for most of her life, is at the very least, set to sit on the Wizengamot in proxy of her father. Which means, between just us four, we have five guaranteed seats in the Wizengamot. Six if we count Hannah's father's, and more if we count those of our allies."

"Five? But, as heir, you can't take your seat due to your father" Daphne said. Susan and Hannah were confused at the discrepancy in math, and were somewhat relieved that Daphne and Neville were out of the loop as well.

"I thought this would be a good time to bring this up as well. You see, over the summer, I learned something quite intriguing. Did you know that there is a house called Peverell? It is old, older than even the houses of the Founders, of which only Slytherin and Hufflepuff have living direct heirs. And, an only daughter married into the Potter main line. Also, since I was the first born of the Potters, my godfather was, naturally, Sirius Black, James's best friend. I was then made Sirius's heir, until such a time he had an heir, which still hasn't happened and from what I've heard, won't. And according to the bylaws, as I have not been specifically excluded from taking the seat, and the current Lord has not sat his seat in over 5 years due to being at odds with his family…"

"That means that you will be able to take the seat as heir," Daphne finished for him, her eyes wide.

"Exactly. And, I'll also be able to claim the Peverell seat. And, there is something else. The Gryffindor line."

"How the hell did you manage to obtain that? As far as we are aware, there is no heir of Gryffindor.

"It happened during the whole Chamber fiasco. Apparently, there are many heirs of Gryffindor. In fact, I believe Neville is also an heir, which may explain our family's close relationship. But, finding and wielding Gryffindor's sword is what determines who becomes head."

Neville was in shock.

"So, we have the Potter name, and seeing as we will be allied with the Longbottoms, known longtime friend and ally of the Potters… well, we won't lose as many votes as expected due to me not being the Lord. Then, add in the fact that we'll have the Black name, then the Peverell's, Bones's, Abbott's and Greengrass's as well…. Well, we have ourselves a political coalition. The Blacks used to be the unofficial leader of the traditionalists, as the Malfoys are now and the Potters are for the "Light" side. Given all of this, we'll have some still loyal to the Black name, as well as the neutrals and some other assorted Slytherin houses thanks to Daphne and some of the "Light" thanks to the Bones and Potter names. By taking enough votes from both of the more extreme sides and adding them to the neutrals, we have levelled the playing field. In fact, we'll probably have more than leveled it."

"And just what do you plan to do with this? It won't matter any for another 3 years," Susan said, talking about the fact that most of them were still only 14.

"To address the latter concern, that's where you're wrong. The three of us, well, we've been thinking of this for a while. And so, we did research."

Daphne recited the relative passages. "'Any heir or heiress of a house of which there is no current Head, can be considered emancipated and eligible for Headship on their fifteenth birthday.' 'Any adult over the age of 17, or member of a house above the age of 11, can act as a proxy on the Wizengamot.' Of course, technically, the Head of House ring will accept anyone, with certain stipulations based on the houses."

"Like the Black House. While their motto is "Toujours Pur", the main requirement of the Headship has always been power, which Harry has in spades," Neville said.

"If you two want to help us, then we'll have 6 votes. And our names will be enough to gather allies."

"And once you have your… coalition, what is it you want to do?" Hannah asked.

"I want to do the same thing as I want to do to this upcoming war."

"Tip the scales?"

"No. Scales implies that there are three sides. I want to add a third player. I want to change Wizarding Britain."

"And just what do you mean by that, Harry?" Susan looked scared, maybe not by him, but by his words.

"For far too long, Wizarding Britain has been stuck. For most other wizarding communities, the war with Grindelwald wiped out so many of the blood purists and so many magical beings in general that in order to survive, people were forced to work together. Sure, some purists who survived may still feel the same way, but there are far less of them, and far more more-tolerant people both in power and in the general populace. They moved on.

But, Britain never had that chance. It stayed out of the war for the most part. All of our blood purists still existed, and those that fought in the first war with Voldemort—" here, everyone shivered—"either just went to Azkaban or bought their way out of jail."

"Our policies have too long been about who could buy who off from the other side, and who had the better numbers. The neutrals, like my family, have helped to curb that, but we're too small to make a big difference, and in the end, it comes down to who can offer us more," Daphne said, letting Harry take a small break from his rant.

Neville picked up after her. "But, what if the neutrals were bigger? What if they were even bigger than the other two sides? What would happen then?"

"The answer to that is tricky. If that happened, then the people with the most gold and willingness to spend it, i.e. Malfoy, would just bribe them, just like before." Daphne said

"That's where we come in," Harry said. "The neutrals are just that, neutral. They hold no allegiance to any one person, just like they don't to a side. They vote in their best interests, as it tends to be a mix of traditionalist and light politics. But, if we were a unified force, then we would be the main people deciding law. We could form temporary alliances with either side to get a bill passed. There wouldn't be people within us voting in self-interest, but rather voting for the interest of the team. I want to be the third player, to bring Wizarding Britain into a new age."

"You sound like Granger," Susan pointed out. "You make it sound as if we are this backwards country."

"I admit, we both thought he was crazy at first," Neville said.

"Granger is a fool, who thinks that everything in life can be solved with diplomacy and equality and wishes for the magical world to be a mirror copy of the muggle world. No, I merely wish for us to move on from that which keeps us back. The traditionalists just want to keep themselves and their own in power, using anything and everything they have to keep first generations and halfbloods disenfranchised. And then, the "light" wants us to embrace everything mundane, from their way of life to their culture, saying that we need to get with the times. But we are a separate culture. Yes, we need to bring equality to witches and wizards of all types, but we do not need to control other magicals. Just as they have their own counsel and laws, so should we. But, we must not treat them as if they are not equal, lest we be treated the same. We need to have reliable liaisons with them. The Wizengamot, at least for now, still needs to be hereditary. Why? Because all of us," Harry said, pointing to them "know what we are talking about. And then we get first generations like Granger spouting off about house elf rights, as if she knows everything. Through everything, every one of us has some way of seeing how backwards this society can be. We've either seen it, or been victim to it."

Daphne and Hannah nodded at the first, while Susan and Neville nodded to the second.

"So, my question is, are you in?"

Dumbledore mulled over the outcome of the meeting. He admitted that he could have handled everything about the situation better. His first thought should not have been about trying to get Thomas those same powers, whether it be through replication of the circumstances or other… more questionable ways. It was for naught anyway, and now he was down on a relationship with the other Potter child as well as a suitable chosen one.

The former was on many people. He should have realized that doing what he did would have pointed the spotlight in one direction. However, in his joy, both at the survival of the parents and of the two boys, he had forgotten himself. And in doing so, caused himself and other to forget a child.

He had wished that he had steered James and Lily better. James seemed to have forgotten what it was that made him grow up, the death of his parents. James was an exceptional duelist, almost a prodigy at transfiguration. Lily on the other hand seemed repentant. She was the main driving force of the two in the effort to reconnect with Harry.

He had realized the latter when seeing Harry. When it was put in front of him like this, it was extremely difficult to ignore. Thomas own behavior had been improving, but he took after his father. Cocky and a little arrogant, though this past year had done much to curb that. But, unlike his parents, he had neither exceptional skill in transfiguration or charms.

Neville had also been a potential, but he had never given much thought to the young boy after the attack on the Potters. He had been keeping a subtle eye on the Longbottom heir, and he was not what he expected when he arrived 3 years ago. He had expected the young heir to be cowed, shy; a wallflower, due to Augusta's own overbearing personality.

But, he was not. In fact, there was a lot that he had not expected, and it all seemed to revolve around the younger Potter.

' _Wait. Is he even the younger? How do I not know? What if he isn't? What if he's the older one? That would change a lot in terms of a balance of potential power.'_

Even besides the status of the _other_ Potter, the events of the past year Dumbledore was forced more and more to consider a possibility. A possibility that he was wrong. A possibility that Harry, and not Thomas, was the Boy-Who-Lived.

Harry walked to the Room, exhausted. He was glad Daphne and Neville were there to help. Daphne in particular, Merlin she was a slippery one. In the end, Susan and Hannah decided to help them out, at least for now.

As he rounded the corner, he saw Fleur, and he smiled.

"Hey Fleur."

As she turned, her hair whipping around her, it struck him how beautiful she really was. It had never really occurred to him before, but now that they were—an item, a thing, whatever—it did. It was even more accentuated when she smiled, like now.

"Hello Harry," she said softly. "What's wrong?"

"Just the same old. I've told you before, what with my parents and all. I've told you about them, but…"

"It doesn't make it any easier, I know. If it did, I would have had an easy time. I've long accepted my heritage and who I am, but that doesn't mean there weren't times that I hated that others could only see that side of me, or wishing that I wasn't a Veela."

"Don't say that!" Harry yelled, taking Fleur by surprise. "You are perfect the way you are! You shouldn't degrade yourself just because of what others think!"

Fleur grinned, before speaking pointedly to Harry. "You should take your own advice. You shouldn't let Lily and James affect you so much. They are going to be there, but they've long ignored you. You can let them know how it feels."

"You're right."

"I know. That's is something you'll have to get used to. Us women are always right."

Harry just laughed.

Harry finally knew what he wanted, and the Room finally appeared.

As they entered, they were greeted with a forest clearing. At this point, Fleur instinctively switched back to French.

" _Harry, what is this place?"_

" _This is close to my home. It's been my refuge. This has been where I would go to meditate, and where I really began to learn how to use my powers."_

To demonstrate, he started to channel, his hair and eyes changing as they did so. He was slowly manipulating a small ice sculpture. Fleur giggled a bit as he did. Harry turned to her, an inquisitive look on his face as Fleur answered his unasked question.

" _I was just thinking about the first time I saw you. When you saved me. I was so dizzy back then, I couldn't get a good look at you. But I had thought that you were like a twin of me, a strange guardian angel."_

" _I must admit, I was just at the right place at the right time."_

" _Indeed, but it doesn't make the event any less meaningful, or the actions any less brave."_

Harry didn't know what to say, so kept silent.

" _When I had told Papa what happened, I could have sword you were another Veela. But after Papa had examined my memory, he told me your hair was closer to white."_

Fleur kept talking as she was brushing his hair out of his face.

" _Amazing."_

" _What is?"_

" _I mean, you. You as a person, and as an elemental. I don't think anyone would have predicted an elemental being born in this century. But then there is you. You are so kind, caring, despite how you grew up."_

" _I grew up fine." Harry snapped somewhat defensively. He always appreciated the House Elves for what they did._

" _That's not what I meant, and you know it. Despite knowing your parents cared more for your brother."_

" _You say I'm kind, but you don't know all about me."_

" _That is true. I know you hold some anger towards your parents, and I don't know everything there is about you, but I know enough."_

Fleur leaned in, and soon they were kissing.

It wasn't a kiss of passion, and they quickly split apart, to just relax in each other's presence.

" _What is your favorite part about this place?"_

Harry had to think for a moment.

"I think," he started, speaking English without thinking, "that I love being able to look at the stars. Whenever I am here, I just lost in the stars. I just lost in the vastness of space. And just being surrounded my nature, it is calming."

" _So what did your pa-, Lily and James want to talk to you about?"_ Fleur had to correct herself. She knew that Harry didn't like referring to them as his parents.

" _They were mainly asking where I was during the Winter. As if they cared before. And Lily wanted to try to make up with me. I mainly ended up fighting with James. And the Headmaster asked me again to participate in the war."_

" _What war? Is this the civil war in that green house that you talked about at the Yule Ball?"_

Harry chuckled a bit.

" _No, that's over. Daphne, my date to the ball, you know her, right?"_ Fleur nodded, trying not to let herself feel jealous over the other witch. _"Well, she won pretty handily. I've made my own presence known in Slytherin house, as has she. When it became known that I was an elemental and that I was already backing her, it was over. No, the war that Dumbledore is talking about is the second Blood War."_

" _The second? But the first one ended with the death of that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named."_

" _He will return. Tom will always find a way."_

Fleur was stunned by the revelation, so much so that she didn't catch the use of Tom's real name. But, the way Harry was looking at her and the tone he used, she knew he had doubt.

" _I'll have to tell my father about this."_

" _I hope that you do. I wasn't sure whether to bring it up during the Winter Holidays. But, Jean-Sebastian needs to be made aware. I know there aren't as many blood-purists in France as there used to be, but still."_

Fleur nodded.

" _Neither of know when it will start, but it has to be soon. It has been building towards that during the last few years. And it has all come to a head this year."_

" _What do you mean?"_

" _I just don't understand. In previous years, I've been involved in the events surrounding Thomas, occasionally saving him. But, this year,_ I _was chosen for the Triwizard Tournament. Something is off, and I don't like not knowing what."_

" _There is nothing to do except to take what comes, as it comes. If you spend all your time worrying, then when the time has come, you won't be prepared."_

" _You're right. How have things been on your end?"_

" _Aimee is excited. None of the other students really have an opinion, although some of the nastier girls are saying that I'll just leave you."_ Fleur said the last part slightly apprehensively, worried about Harry's reaction.

" _Don't worry. I know your allure isn't your fault."_ Fleur visibly relaxed at that

" _Yes, well, that doesn't stop some of the others from talking. But, some of the others seem to be really glad."_

" _Why?"_

" _They think that with me taken, I won't try to 'steal' their boyfriends."_

They both just laughed and shook their heads.

" _Father has been, ambivalent. Pleased that I have found someone, but just like you, worried about the circumstances surrounding you."_

" _Let's stop talking about troubles and just relax."_

Fleur readily agreed, leaning into Harry as they sat against a tree.

"Is there anything you want to see?" Harry asked.

Fleur thought for a moment, before deciding to give Harry a treat.

"I have one."

As she said that, the room started to shift. The magics surrounding the room always made this part confusing. The room seemed to simultaneously change, yet stay the same. Smaller changes like asking for a desk, or an addition to the room were easier to hide and made unnoticeable. But changing the whole room messed with the senses.

In the end, when the room finished, he was standing in a hall.

"Is this…"

"Yes, Beaubaxtons."

"Amazing."

Harry, for all his knowledge, had never been able to take a step inside Beaubaxtons. The one drawback of the tournament being held at Hogwarts instead of one of the other three. He took a look around.

From what he could see, whereas Hogwarts was a bastion against invaders, Beaubaxtons was created to be beautiful. Instead of a castle, there was a palace.

The main hall was a ballroom, with a setup similar to Hogwarts to allow many students to sit. But, instead of dreary stone walls, the walls were a brilliant white, decorated with paintings and having chandeliers hanging, providing plenty of light to the hall.

"This is our equivalent to the Great Hall. It is where most of the eating is done. As there are no houses in Beaubaxtons, seating is usually more based on who your friends are. This spot over here," Fleur said while pointing towards the end, "is where Aimee and I usually sit. Sometimes, our friend Lucas sits here as well."

"Amazing. Now I want even more to see the other magical schools. I've seen Ilvermorny, the North American school. Both the others are much more well -hidden."

"Oh? And what would you do once you've seen them all?"

"I have no idea," Harry said honestly, shrugging his shoulders.

It was a little while longer before either of them spoke, but Fleur broke the silence first.

"Harry?"

"Hrmm?"

"I was just wondering. Sitting at the Ravenclaw table, we've heard stories. I was just wondering if some of those stories were true."

"Like what?"

"We heard that something terrifying was happening 2 years ago. Students being petrified, along with a cat and a ghost. How does a ghost even become petrified? We heard that Thomas was the one to put a stop to it."

"That's partially correct."

When Harry didn't say anything further, Fleur huffed.

Harry just chuckled a little bit. "So that was true. The Chamber of Secrets had been opened. In fact, one of Thomas's and my friends had both been petrified. It all came to a head when someone was taken into the chamber."

Fleur gasped. "Merde. What happened?"

"Thomas and his friend Weasley, the redhead whose sister was the one taken, went down there. Naturally, I followed after them."

"Why?"

Harry just sighed. "He may not be family to me, but he is blood. I feel an obligation to him. And, the Wizarding World needs a symbol, which Thomas happily plays. I was there to ensure he stays that symbol. Not to mention the fact that I didn't expect him to be able to deal with it, and if he didn't and died, then I wouldn't be able to go to Hogwarts."

"Sure, totally reasonable. Go into a secret chamber and fight some monster that can petrify people so that you can go to school!"

"Like I said, it was a variety of reasons. I came across Weasley and a memory addled Professor. Weasley didn't know what hit him. I made my way into the Chamber proper to find Thomas knocked out, and, something standing above him."

"Something?"

"I wasn't sure what. It claimed to be a memory, but it couldn't have been that. It seemed like more. It was Voldemort, as he was 50 years ago, when he was 16. We fought and dueled. It had been the only time that I had been forced to use my elemental powers."

Harry left out the conversation that the two of them had. He felt that that was pretty private, at least for now?

"Interesting. So you won?"

"Yes, but with help. I ended up killing the beast, and then later destroying the memory. I ended up rendering the Basilisk and selling some parts, keeping some for myself."

"Wait. I remember that at the Weighing of the Wands that the old wandmaker, he said your wand has Basilisk fang and venom inside of it. That makes so much more sense. Is it-?"

"Yea, it's from those fangs."

"Who helped?"

"Well, it was Dumbledore's… phoenix…"

"Harry?"

Harry's mind was racing. Fleur bringing up the Weighing of the Wands reminded him of something. He had thought nothing of it, seeing as it was just his first wand. He had been paying more attention to the reactions to his second wand. But, looking back, Dumbledore hadn't suddenly started paying attention to him with the emergence of the second wand. Harry remembered now. Dumbledore had been staring at Harry from the get go, with no reason to other than the fact the he, instead of Thomas, was the one involved in strange events. But, it was the most attention given to him ever. In fact, if he had to guess, a lot of Dumbledore's focus was on his

"Wand." Harry looked down at his wand.

" _It's curious that you should be destined for this wand. One wouldn't be faulted for thinking that, if anyone, it would go to your brother."_

" _Why is that, Mr. Ollivander?"_

" _The phoenix, whose tail feather resides in your wand, gave just one other feather. That feather, was used to make a wand of Yew, 13 inches. That wand belonged to the man who attacked your family, nearly 10 years ago."_

" _An elemental? It must have been you to defeat my future self, and not your brother. Join me Harry, help me, and we can make them pay. We are the same, you and I. Both ignored, both forced to live in the shadows of others. But together, no one could stop us."_

" _I doubt that. I was found far away from where your robe was found."_

" _Ah, so that's why it took a week to try to talk to me. You had wanted to do exactly that. All for your Greater Good? And what if I had refused? Would you have forced me?"_

 _Dumbledore at least had the shame to lower his head. He looked unsure about what he would do if the choice were there."_

Dumbledore had never actually positively acknowledged him. What if it wasn't that? What if it was something else?

"I have to go."

"Go? Where?" Fleur asked, panic in her voice. Had she done something wrong?" Was Harry angry?

"It's not you Fleur. I need to talk to the Headmaster again."

Harry seemed like a man possessed. His strides purposeful and long as he made his way to the gargoyle.

"Move aside."

The gargoyle gave no indication of hearing him.

"Move aside, or I will blast you to pieces."

"That won't be necessary."

Dumbledore's voice echoed from the top, and the gargoyle started to move, revealing a staircase.

Harry was up the steps in a flash, appearing in the Headmaster's office.

"Harry, I didn't expect to see you so soon. Have you changed your-"

"How long have you known?" Harry didn't even bother to correct the use of his first name.

Harry's voice cut through whatever Dumbledore was about to say, his voice hard like steel. Dumbledore, while never managing to get on the good side of the other Potter, had never antagonized him either. This was the first time he had ever seen the boy so angry. The boy's eyes were practically glowing, and they were not the green Dumbledore had expected, but blue.

"Whatever do you mean?"

"How long have you known that I was the Boy Who Lived?"

"I told you Albus." Harry looked towards the portrait, the very same one that had been giving Dumbledore a look at their first talk. "I told you that he couldn't be deceived forever."

"You haven't answered me old man. How. Long?"

Dumbledore sighed. "I've had suspicions for quite a while now. What, may I ask, tipped you off?"

"Fleur."

Dumbledore looked surprised. "I don't believe I have ever taken Ms. Delacour into my confidence."

"It wasn't her directly. She was asking about some rumors, and one thing led to another, and we started talking about Fawkes. And my wands. From there, I made the connection."

"Yes, it is true, Fawkes is indeed the phoenix whose tail feather makes up your first wand's core."

"You knew."

"Yes, and no. I allowed Ollivander to come into possession of them on the condition that I be notified who bought them." However, he never told me the wood, and only told me that 'Mr. Potter bought the other wand.' He never told me which Mr. Potter. In fact, I had been wondering if my suspicion was wrong, listening to Thomas's accounts of the events of the first 3 years."

"But then you discovered that it was _I_ who bought it, at the weighing of the wands. Add to the fact that I am an elemental... Why did you lie about trying to transfer my powers if by then, you at least had suspicions that I was the one who survived, and not Thomas?"

"I wasn't trying to transfer them, but merely trying to see if they could be replicated."

That was a lie. Harry had become good at telling lies from the truth. He was, after all, friends with a Slytherin.

"You _were_ trying, despite the suspicions. But why? Why would you want to give Thomas, who is an average student at best... No, it was _because_ he was an average student. You had the soldier, but you needed the weapon. I wasn't under your control, but Thomas was. That's why you waited so long. You were thinking of every angle. How to transfer the power and bar that, how to get me, the Boy Who Lived, on your side."

"Harry-"

"That's Mr. Potter to you, Headmaster."

"I am only trying to do my best to prepare for the war. The war that we both know is coming."

Harry raised an eyebrow.

"I know that you were present at both confrontations with Voldemort in the first and second year. And I know that you are the one to have cast the Patronus. Thomas's accounts of those events are just too sparse. I figured that there had to be someone else, and during the events of last year, I had managed to determine that you were out of bed when the Dementors were repelled. As such, I figured that you were behind Thomas emerging victorious the two years before that, as well."

"Ok, so what?"

In response, Dumbledore took out the Riddle's diary and put it on his desk.

"What is that, Headmaster? I mean, truly?"

"I believe I cannot tell you that. But, know for now that it is part of the reason that Voldemort survived past that Halloween 13 years ago."

Harry narrowed his eyes. "So, more than a _mere memory_ , as he had claimed. Interesting."

Dumbledore put his hands on his desk, then looked up at Harry.

"So, Harry, can we work together to bring an end to this threat, once and for all?"


End file.
